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3-' 




HARVARD 
COLLEGE 
LIBRARY 



r 



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Google 



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Google 



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THE GAEL 

(At! 5AOt)xM.) 

MONTHLY BI-UNGUAL MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE PROMOTION 

OF THE LITERATURE, HISTORY, LANGUAGE, ART, 

MUSIC, INDUSTRIES, ETC. OF IRELAND. 



Conducted By STEPHEN J. RICHARDSON. 




VOL. XXn. JANUARY TO DECEMBER t903 



.. . 1903 ... 



THE GAEL PUBLISHING CO. 



NEW YORK. 



Digitized by vjOOQ IC 



iL 



INDEX 



AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS. 



Barlow, Miss Jane— The Obstructed 
Road 287 

Barry. Kathleen Eileen — Character 
Sketch of Edward J. O'Mahony 
(Opera and Concert Basso) 274 

Blererer, M. R. I. A., Francis Jo- 
seph—In Goldsmith's Country.. 371 
^A Ballad of Doe In Donesral.. 417 

Booth, Eva Gore— The Harpers 
Sons of Seasons 369 

Boyle, William- Aroon 306 

Brennan. Joseph— My Wife 172 

Burke, John J— A Stronghold of the 
Gael 415 

Butler, Mary E. L.— An Idealist.... 7 

C 

Carbery, Ethna (Mrs. S. Mac- 

Manus)— Obituary 25 

The Little Head of Curls 410 

Casey, J. K.— The Risinsr of the 
Moon 315 

Cavanagh, Michael — A Day in Ire- 
land 409 

Coleman, P. J.— King Uriel's 

Daughter 272 

The Ransom Races ,,.» 300 

Conroy, Mrs. J. P.— The Cradle 
Ship 224 

Cox, Eleanor R.— Shane O'Neil's 
Visit to the Court of Elizabeth.. 271 

Croker, B. M.— Lady Mary Slattery. 324 

Crosble, W. J.— Cicely RelUy 339 

D 

Davis, Thomas— The Flower of 

Flnae 119 

A Nation Once Again 351 

Degidon, Nora Frances — Working 

for a Wife 69 

Dollard, Rev. J. B. (Slieve-na- 
mon)— The Burial of Moran Og.. 1 

When Stubborn Ross Ran 

Red 73 

The Isles of Arran 81 

The Cattle Spoiling of Cooley. 370 

Moondharrig Versus Tlr na 

n-Og 405 

Mo Phearla An Mhuir Mhor. . 410 

Doyle, Crissie M. — Womanhood and 

Nationhood 52 

Dinneen, M. A., Rev. P. S.— Dirge 

for the Desmond 295 

DufTerin, Lady— "Oh! Bay of 
Dublin" 172 



English, Thomas Dunne — The 
Death of Lora 215 



Faherty, Stephen M.— Exile Yearn- 
ings 77 

Farrah, LL. A. (Mary)— My Irish 
Witch 188 

Fletcher, M.— The Lost Passage 
Money 154 

Fogarty, W. M.— An Irish Heart.... 132 

Furlong, Miss Alice— Silk of the 

Kine 248 

The Well of Forgetfulness. . .. 396 

O 

Garnett. M. A. Edward— The Cu- 

chullln Saga 173 

Geary, Eugene— April Memories 119 



Gregory, Lady Augusta— The Ris- 
ing of the Moon 377 

Griffith, G. Mortogh — Paudh 

Kithoge's Hurling Match 281- 

Voices Calling 313 

The Fairy Hare of Dangan- 

more 321 

Ere the Wings of the Wild 

Geese Grew 401 

Gwynn, Stephen— Ossian's Vision of 

Hell 24 

Ireland 175 



Hackett, Fran^jis Byrne — The 
Shadow of the Rope 161 

Hinkson, H. A.— My Lady's Honor.. 220 
^The Honorable Lady Biddy... 303 

Hope, Angela— To Kitty 214 

Hopper, Nora (Mrs. Chesson)— A 

Connacht Lament 48 

^World's Delight 77 

^The Banshee's Bridal 97 

In Memoriam, Charles Gavan 

Duffy 103 

The Fairy Woman 260 

The Little Red Dog 263 

The Black Boreen 295 

Green Fields in Ireland 370 

The Woman With Two Shad- 



Donegal 409 

Hudson, J.— Christmas Bells 420 



Johnson, Lionel — "Dead". 



26 



Kavanagh, J. W.— William Smith 
O'Brien— Centenary of His 
Death 392 

Kelly, Richard J., Hon. Sec. Galway 
Arch. Soc— The Round Tower 
of Kilbannon 255 

Ketchum, Arthur— The Lights o' 
Home 219 

King, Richard Ashe— Irish Humor. . 139 

L 

Lindsay, Lady— A Carol for Christ- 
mas 418 

Lonergan, Thomas — The Irish 
Christian Brothers 411 

Looney, D. — The Felon's Appeal... 299 

Lynch, Michael — Epic Material in 
Old Irish Literature 125 



Mac Airchill. Padralg— The Lass of 

Delvinside 234 

McAuliffe, Joseph P.— Heed Ye the 

Seer 289 

McCall, P. J.— The Bouchaleen 

Bawn 132 

McCarthy, D. A.— The Irish on 

Parade 72 

Ireland In the Spring 95 

Robert Emmet 333 

The Wind from Slieve-na-mon 132 

The "Twang" of the "Re 

turned Yank" 137 

Mac Donagh — Irish Provincial Jour- 
nalism 227 

Biographical Sketch with Por- 
trait 233 

MacFinegall— The Little Bohreen.. 409 
An Exile's Plaint 410 



MacGarbhaigh, Cathal— A Ql] 

Weechiel 

^Longing 

Macleod, Fiona— An Appreciatloi 

Mr. W. B. Yeats 

The Magic Kingdoms 

Song in My Heart 

MacManus, Seumas — DlsiUusione 
Mc William, Rose— Tlr na n-Ogr.. 
Maguire, P. I.— The Dear Lll 

Widow 

Mahon, Miss Shiela— The Keeper 

the Fairy Gold 

Mangan, James Clarence — A VisI 

of Connacht in the Thirteei 

Century 

Meyer, Ph. D. (Prof. Kuno) — 1 

Necessity for Establishing- 

School of Irish Literature, PI: 

ology and History 

^Proposed School of Irl 

Studies in Dublin 

Monks. W.— Tom Moore 

Moore, Mr. George— Books Print 

in Ireland 

Home Sickness : 

Mulcahy, Mrs. J. B.— A Pen Plctu 

of Mr. Yeats 

Mulroy, Martin J. — Irish Legend 

Voyagers 

Murphy, M. J.— Our National Hei 

tage 



O'Brien, R. Barry— Five Times A 

raigned for Treason 

O'Callaghan, B. A. J. P.— Tlr N 

n-Og 

O'Grady, Standish— The Battle \ 

The Curlew Mountains 

^The Outlawed Chieftain 

Philip O'Sullivan. Hlstorlai 

Soldier and Poet 

O'Growney, Rev. Eugene — Gael 

Greetings and Blessings 

Funeral of 35 

Disposal of the 0*Growne 

Fund 

O'Higgins. Brian— A Little Rugge 

Boreen Far Away 

Beyant the Bog 

O'Keefe, Margaret— Tlr na n-Og, ^ 

Vision 

O'Kelly, Pat— The Curse of Done 

raile 

O'Neill, Moira — Denny's Daughter. 

Looking Back 

The Blackbird 

O'Reilly, Michael — Dermot th 

Fenian 

The Kerry Mermaid 

Irish-English Dictionary 

O'Reilly, Mrs. Mary A.— A. Shel 

from Mem'ry's Shore 

^The West Wind's Message... 

Review of Lady Gregory'i 

"Poet's and Dreamers" 

O'Shea, L.— Irish Love Song 

O'Sheridan, Mary Grant— "Sho-heer 
Sho" (Lullaby) 



Patten, Miss Winnifred M.— TImi 
and Tide 

Peterson, Maud Howard— An Inter- 
national^^<A/rair . 



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r*hllllp8, Harold A.— "God Save Ye". 91 
The Beauty of Dark Rosaleen. 257 

R 

Ptoche, James JeflFrey— And Then?.. 269 
Rooney. William— Mo Stoirin Dhu.. 283 

Gralnne Mhaol 369 

Russell, George ("A. E.")— Connla's 

Well 370 

Russell, T. O'Neill— Shane O'Neill's 

Letter to the Lord Deputy 142 

An Ancient Irish Deed (Trans- 
lated) 18(7 

An old Poem from the Book of 

Leinster (Translated) 352 

Ryan, Rev. C. P.— Where the Beau- 
tiful Rivers Flow 269 

S 

Sansster. Margaret E.— Christmas . . 423 
Shan don, John— The Stolen Prin- 
cess 148 

The Enchanted Trout 46 



Shaw, William Stanley— We're Go- 
ing Home to Ireland in the 
Morning 370 

Sheppard's Bronze Figure "1798"... 330 

Sigerson, Dora (Mrs. Shorter)— The 
Mother 77 

Slieve, Margy— My Little Noreen 
Sweet 31 

Smyth, P. G.— The Passing of the 

Clan William 41, 78. 110 

When Lucan Died . .• 168 

The Vigil of Sir Milo. 241 

Strange, Barry— The Bodagh Glas.. 307 

Synge, J. M. — An Autumn Night in 
the Hills 116 

T 

Todhunter, John— Irish Music 226 

Maureen 333 

Tynan, Katharine (Mrs. Hinkson) — 

A Terrible Big Lie 100 

An Irregular Transaction 129 

The Fair Quakeress 380 



An Irish Outlaw (Michael 

Dwyer) 17 

W 

Wall, J. M.— In Jail with Parnell, 

A Reminiscence 164 

Walsh, Ph. D., M. D., James— Last 

of the Bards 262 

Ward, John W.— W^here the Waves 

Come Rolling In 295 

Weld, M. R.— Cree's Lament for 

Cael 261 

Wilton, R.— The Poet Priests 48 

Y 

Yeats, William Butler — Adams' 

Curse 48 

A Pen Picture of 425 

The Old Age of Queen Maeve. 170 

Art 89 

-A Pot of Broth (A Play in 

One Act) 310 

-The Old Men Admiring Them- 
selves In the Water— 315 



POEMS, ETC., 



23 



21 



-A5 pilleAT) 425 

^5 fo p|ieA5fA-ó •ÓÁilíi^ "Ou t)AtttiA Aljt 
Oeifi^ í)ÁT>|iAi5 Cúnx)ún i ti-5<\0- 

-O-Al 

**A\n CLAi-oeAth Sotnif " A5Uf -An ^ao- 

T)At 

C. . 

ÓAiceA-ó An UAicne. -AifotttiuJA-o le 

SeA^An O'áéAJ-ÓA, CÁCAtii-SAÍ-ót)ín 273 

CAiteAm An glAif.— -Airc|ii5Co leif An 

4^CA1|t eoJAn Ó 5|tAriinA 23 

**Citt -Ái|ine.'*— CttÁcc An fpcA|i-]iA"ó- 
A|icA»b tocA téin A5uf DA ri|te *n 
A timceAll teif An ACAft» pA-otiAis 
Ua X>uinnin 23 



CLó-ÓAnnA nuAX). — 

5AeT>il5e." 

CoitVipjieAjAiicAf . . . . 



PRINTED IN IRISH. 

1]tifleAt)A|t nA 



22 
56 



"DiAitmui-o nA "péinne niAofle — ^^ij 

*'bÁ]t|i-n..\-h--Aoine." 83 

]:ili-6eAÍ:c. 4Aiflin5 — "OlAiiniAiT) tlA 

h-lA|iplACA |to cAn 56 

5- 

5eAl-eitti5e nA Uac 315 

1. 

lontnuin Cijt 389 

I. 
**leAftA|t ttlunAi-o TiA g'^e'óilje." — A^ 

pBA-oAji niAC f lonnlAoié 23 



m, 



ttlAitbnA eoJAin UÍ jjiAinnAiJ 390 

n. 

UofS Caca OpcAi^i niic Otpin. — pcAji- 

5ur, pie f inn, |to, cÁn 189 

S. 

SéAmuf Ó "OiiAisneAin . . 56 

Seil5 JlcAnnA An Smóil 231 

SheAshAii t)hui-ohe 281 

C. 

CÁ lÁ|itA|t 'nA "OuifeAec 315 

Ci|i nA n-Ó5— -Aiflinj 54 

Cui|ieATh. — Á\\ bÁf "ÓonnéAtÍA (bAile 

<áOX>A) rhtC ÓA^ICÁlj. — ScAmuf 

niAC 5eA|iAilc "DO Sc|n'ol> 144 



A Celtic Section in the New York 

Public Library 182 

A Famous Mayo Poet (Raf erty) 115 

A Gaelic Songstress (Miss Julia 

O'Donoghue) 193 

An Ancient Irish Deed (Translated 

by T. O'Neill Russell) 187 

An Autumn Night in the Hills 116 

Ancient Hinba 155 

Ancient Order of Hibernians 95 

An Englishman's Impressions of 

America 302 

A New Irish Play 407 

A New Society to Help Ireland 182 

An Irish Rose (Lady Limerick) 339 

Anti-Emigration Society.^. 339 

A Poet (Mr. George Russell, "A. 

E.") on a Poet (Mr. W. B. 

Yeats) 330 

A Pot of Broth (A Play in One Act) 310 

Art— Irish Ornamental Art 265 

A Short Guide to Choice Reading.. 103 

A Stronghold of the Gael 415 

A Veteran Regiment (Ninth Conn. 

Volunteers) 214 

A Wexford Monument to the Men 

of '98 330 



GENERAL SUBJECTS. 



Bibliography of Scarce Irish Books. 351 

Blarney Stone Found 50 

Book Reviews 12, 27, 57. 88, 120, 

156, 183, 196, 232, 270, 296, 346, 397, 427 
Books Too Little Known— The Cu- 

chullln Saga 173 

Bravest People on Earth, The 407 

C 

Carpet Making in Ireland 188 

Castlecomer Coal Fields (Co. Kil- 
kenny) 334 

Catholic Centenary in Australia 235 

Catholic Truth Society 140 

Celtic Mythology .123 

Celtic Scholarship ^75 

Chartran and the Pope 306 

Co-operation in Ireland 309 

Correspondence 235, 318, 431 

Costume— The Revival of Irish Cos- 
tume 1 314 

Crees Lament for Cael 261 

Curlew Mountains, The Battle of.. 201 



Davis, Thomas, Poet— Brief Sketch 
of 299 



Decrease In Crime in Ireland 348 

Denvir's Irish Library 330 

Dermot— Castle Dermot (Co. Kll- 

dare) 16 

Donegal — Handloom Weaving and 

Spinning in 408 

Dromohair (Leltrlm) Co-operative 

Society 257 

Druids of Paris, The 96 



Editorial Notes.... 30, 62, 94, 159, 198, 236 

Emmet's Body 308 

Emmet, M. D., Thomas Addis— Re- 
port on the Investigation to De- 
termine the Burial Place of 

Robert Emmet 341. 

Emmet, Robert— Some Portraits of. 384 

English-Irish Dictionary 368 

Epic Material in Old Irish Litera- 
ture 125 

Esmonde Family, The 348 

Estates for Sale in Ireland 400 

Evictions in Ireland 229 

Evolution of the Stage Irishman... 13 

P 

Feis Ceoil, An Irishman's Impres- 
sions of 4 



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Five Times Arraigned for Treason . . 349 

Fleming Companionship, The 47 

Folk Song—Irish Folk Song 93 

Forty-eight Volumes Given for 

Ideas 230 

Franciscan Manuscripts 47 

O 

Gaelic Concerts (Cuirm Mhor Ceoil). 87 

Gaelic Figures 123 

Gaelic Greetings and Blessings 290 

Gaelic League in Australia 345 

Gaelic League in Ireland 219, 339 

Gaelic League in London 170, 400 

Gaelic League in Longford, The 3 

Gaelic League Publications 15 

Gaelic Orchestra in Dublin 387 

Gaelic Postal Cards 160 

Gaelic to Rebuild Ireland 195 

Galway. A Plea for 260 

Gill, Mr. T. P. — Appreciative 

Sketch 398 

Gregory, Review of Lady Gregory's 

Book — "Poets and Dreamers".... 421 



Harp Festival in Belfast 176 

Harp, Revival of the 289 

Healy, M. P., Mr. T. M.—A Char- 
acter Sketch of, With portrait... 298 

Henebriates on the Run 19 

Historic Points of Interest near 

Dublin 151 

How Irish Names are Changed 248 

Humor— Irish Humor 90, 139, 271 



Improved Creameries 309 

Improved Transit in Ireland 192 

Industrial Notes 64, 309 

In Goldsmith's Country 371 

International Automobile Race in 

Ireland 190 

Ireland as It Is (At St. Louis 

World's Fair) 423 

"Ireland" Club in London — 219 

Ireland's Mineral Wealth.60, 257, 262, 360 
Irish Agricultural League of Amer- 
ica 198 

Irish Christian Brothers 411 

Irish Club, New York City 235 

Irish Dialects Should be Discour- 
aged 104 

Irish Farmers In Denmark 160 

Irish History Contest — Prizes 

Awarded 316, 395 

Irish History in Schools 11, 63 

Irish Industrial League 278 

Irish Industries, Prosecution of Dis- 
honest Shopkeepers in London... 278 

Irish in England 278 

Irish Legendry Voyagers 284 

Irish Literary Society, London 146 

Irish Literary Society, New York... 

62, 181, 198. 237, 256 

Irish Made Goods 181 

Irish Minerals 160 

Irish National Theatre 25 

Irish Texts Society, Lgndon 146 

Irish Treasure Trove, Ancient Gold 

Ornaments Found 250 

Irish Workhouses 195 



Joker's Corner, The 109, 141, 199, 

229, 239. 279, 319, 359, 399, 435 
Journalism, Irish Provincial 227 



Kells, The Book of 49 

Kilbannon (County Galway) Round 

Tower of 255 

Kilbride, M. P., Denis 280 

Kilcormac's old Irish Name Re- 
stored .' 240 

Kildare Archaeological Society Pro- 
ceedings 355 

L 

Landsdowne Estates in Kerry ... 257 

Last of the Bards '. .. 262 

League of St. Columba 257 

Libraries in Ireland 238 

Literary Treasures In the Royal 

Irish Academy 286 

Longevity — Beyond the Allotted 

Span 188 

M 

McBride, Mrs. Maude Gonne 183. 240 

MacDermot, K. C. P. C— The Right 

Hon 225 

Meagher's Sword Speech 340 

Missing Irish Manuscripts 109 



Necessity for Establishing a School 
of Irish Literature, Philology 

and History 177 

New Publications 140, 184, 193, 271 

Newry, Historic Buildings in IS 

Notes from Ireland.. ..28, 51, 86. 124. 158 
Notes of Interest 192, 200 



O'Flaherty, Miss Mary 283 

Oireachtas Week in Dublin 180 

O'Mahony, Edward J. (Opera and 
Concert Basso) — ^An Apprecia- 
tive Character Sketch of 274 

O'Neill— Shane O'Neill's Letter to 

the Lord Deputy 142 

Ordnance Survey of Ireland 90. 375 

O'Rell. Max, and the Four Races.. 265 
Ossianic and Other Early Legends.. 217 
O'Sullivan. Philip— Historian, Sol- 
dier and Poet 412 

Our National Heritage 268 



Parish Libraries 214 

Parnell— In Jail with Parnell, A 

Reminiscence 164 

Peat Bogs as Fuel Sources 323 

Irish Peat for the British 

"Persian" Carpets Woven in Done- 
gal 331 

Pipers' Club Concert.. 58 

Pipers' Club, Dublin 176 

Plunkett, Archbishop, Relic of 12 

Potato Culture in Ireland 191 



Question in Parliament 363 



Redmond, Mr. "Willie" 80, 240 

Rockingham House (Co. Roscom- 
mon) 53 



Romance of a Crown 68 

Royal Irish Academy, The 175 

Russell, M. P.. Mr. T. W 248 



S 



St. Patrick Dead 1,410 Years 13t 

St. Patrick's Day Celebration In 

Dublin (1903) 138 

Sale of Tara Hill 103 

Samhaln, 1903 379 

Scotland, The Population of 265 

Sligo, Development of 283 

Stage Irishman, Crusade Against.. 145 



Taafes of Austria, The 294, 348 

Tetuan, Death of the Duke of 128 

The Dun Emer Press 302 

The Farmer and the Statesman -146 

The Fiery Cross 76 

The First Good Friday 18S 

The Irish Alphabet 184, 249 

The Irish Color 140 

The Irish Joan of Arc Sounds a 

Note of Discord 183 

The Irish Land Bill 150 

The Irish Language 249 

The Magic Kingdoms 133 

The New York Times and the Irish 

Revival 113 

The Passing of Clan Uilliam..41. 78, 110 

The Premier Duke of England 140 

The Rising of Jhe Moon (A Play in 

One Act) 376 

The "Twang" of the "Returne^l 

Yank" 137 

The Union Flag (British) 286 

The Wandering Spear (Book Re- 
view) 61 

Tinkers In Clonmel 82 

Tlree, Island of 31 

Tlr na n-Og.— The Land of Per- 
petual Youth 433 

Tobacco in Ireland 219 

Trouble with the English Language 323 
Twenty-flve Volumes as Prizes for 
Answers to a Series of Irish His- 
torical Questions 234 

Twenty-five Volumes Given for 
Ideas 92, 122, 194 



Ulster Flax Industry 87 



W 

Wales, Literature in 407 

Womanhood and Nationhood 52 

Woolen Industry In Ireland 170 

Wyndham, George, Pen Sketch of.. 169 



Yeats'. John B., Portrait of John 

O'Leary 182 

Yeats, Mr. W. B.— Yeats' Irish Plays 
Charmingly Acted in New York 237 

Fiona Macleod on W. B. Yates 40 

An Appreciation and Bibli- 
ography, By F. Sidgwick.... 266-267 

Yeats to Lecture in the United 

States 387 



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POETRY. 



I A 

Id Ballad of Doe In Donegal 417 

Idams' Curse 48 

Ik Day In Ireland 409 

A. Little Rugged Boreen Far Away. 26 

A. Nation Once Again 351 

And Then? 269 

An Exiles Plaint 410 

An Irish Heart 132 

April Memories 119 

A Quare Weechlel 175 

Aroon 306 

A Shell from Mem'ry's Shore 136 

A Song for the Girl I Love 180 

A Song of Defeat 147 

A Vision of Connacht In the Thir- 
teenth Century 323 

B 
Beyant the Bog 168 

€ 

Christmas 423 

Christmas, A Carol for 418 

Christmas Bells 420 

Cicely Rellly 339 

Connacht Lament, A 48 

Connla's Well 370 

Cooley. The Cattle Spoiling of 370 

D 

'Dead" 26 

Deirdre's Lament on Leaving Alba 

(Translated from the Irish) 189 

Denny's Daughter 48 

>lrge for the Desmond 295 

disillusioned 26 

megal 409 

E 

^Kmmet (By T. D. Sullivan) 384 

Emmet. Robert 333 

Exile Yearnings 77 

G 

"God Save Ye" 91 



Gralnne Mhaol 369 

Green Fields in Ireland 370 

A Song of Defeat 147 

I 

I'll Go to Sneevogue 103 

In Memorium, Charles Gavan Dufliy. 103 

Ireland 175 

Ireland In the Spring 95 

Irish Love Song 275 

Irish Music 226 

K 

King Uriel's Daughter 272 

L 

Lelnster— An Old Poem Translated 

from the Book of Leinster 352 

Longing 269 

Lullaby — Irish Mother's (plagiar- 
ism) 235 

M 

Maureen 333 

Mo Phearla An Mhuir Mhor 410 

My Irish Witch 188 

My Little Noreen Sweet 31 

My Share O' the World 3 

My Wife 172 

N 

N'il Amarac Ann! 99 

O 

*'Oh! Bay of Dublin" 172 

Ossian's Vision of Hell (Poem) 24 

P 

Pursuit of Dlarmuid and Grainne... 332 

S 

Shane Bui (Yellow John) Transla- 
tion 231 

Shane CNeil's Visit to the Court of 

Elizabeth 271 

Sho-heen Sho (Lullaby) 235 

Silk of The Kine 248 

Song m My Heart 301 

Sunset '•• 409 



COMPLETE STORIES. 



T 

The Battle Song of Oscar, son of 
Oisin (Translated from the 

Irish.) 189 

The Beauty of Dark Rosaleen 257 

The Blackbird 351 

The Black Boreen 295 

The Bouchaleen Bawn (From the 

Gaelic) 132 

The Chase of Gleann na Smoil 

(Translated from the Irish) 231 

The Cradle Ship 224 

The Curse of Doneraile 163 

The Dear Little Widow 119 

The Death of Labhradh (Lora) 215 

The Fairy Woman 260 

The Felon's Appeal 299 

The Flower of Flnae 119 

The Four- Leaf Shamrock 96 

The Harpers Song of Seasons 369 

The Irish on Parade 72 

The Isles of Arran 81 

The Lass of Delvinside 234 

The Lights O'Home 219 

The Little Bohreen 409 

The Little Head of Curls 410 

The Mother 77 

The Old Age of Queen Maeve 171 

The Poet-Priests 48 

The Ransom Races 300 

The Return to Erin 410 

The Rising of the Moon 315 

The Well of Forgetf ulness 396 

The Wind from Slieve-na-Mon 132 

Tlr na n-Og 369 

To Kitty 214 

Tom Moore 396 

V 

Voices Calling 313 

W 

We're Going Home to Ireland in the 

Morning 370 

When Lucan Died 168 

Where the Beautiful Rivers Flow ... 269 
Where the Waves Come Rolling In. 295 
World's Delight 77 






A 

An Idealist 7 

An International Affair 335 

An Irish Outlaw (Michael Dwyer).. 17 

An Irregular Transaction 129 

A Terrible Big Lie 100 

B 
Burial of Moran Og 1 

D 
Dermot the Fenian 83 

E 

Ere the Wings of the Wild Geese 
Grew *01 

P 

FoMc Lore— The Enchanted Trout.. 46 



Home Sickness 105 



Lady Mary Slattery 324 



Moondharrig Versus Tir Na n-Og... 405 
My Lady's Honor. A Tale of Old 
Dublin Society 220 



Paudh Kithoge's Hurling Match. 



281 



St. Patrick, A Legend of 91 

T 

That American Girl 33 

The Banshee's Bridal 97 

The Bodagh Glas 307 

The Fair Quakeress ^^^^ 



The Fairy Hare of Danganmore... 321 

The Honorable Lady Biddy 303 

The Keeper of the Fairy Gold 258 

The Kerry Mermaid (Translated 

from the Irish) 185 

The Little Red Dog 263 

The Lost Passage Money 154 

The Lost Standard 65 

The Obstructed Road 287 

The Outlawed Chieftain 361 

The Shadow of the Rope 161 

The Stolen Princess, A Tale of 

Sorcery and a Magic Harp 148 

The Vigil of Sir Mllo 241 

The Woman with Two Shadows... 385 

Time and Tide 419 

Tlr na n-Og,— A Vision 54 

W 

'^Tien Stubborn Ross Ran Red 73 

Working for a Wife 6'> 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



> 

n 

> 

m 



vi. 



A 

Abduction, The 215 

A Knigrht in Armor 41 

Ancient Gold Ornaments — Tore, 

Chain, Bowl, Etc 251 

Ancient Viking Ship Under Sail.... 284 

Annakeen Castle, Ruins of 81 

Arms on the Tomb of MacWilliam 

Bourke, Moy ne Abbey 80 

Arms of the Bourkes 79 

A Town Shop in the West of Ire- 
land 422 

Auburn, Sweet — *'The Decent Church 
that Topped the Neighboring 

Hill" 371 

Lough Ree near Sweet Auburn. 371 

Ruins of "The Busy Mill" 372 

"The Noisy Children Just Let 

Loose from School" 373 

Ruins of the Goldsmith Rec- 
tory 373 

Country Lane at Sweet Au- 
burn 374 

The Village School 374 

B 

Ballylahan, Arrival of the Barons 
at 242 

Barker, Mrs. Mary (Actress) Por- 
trait 237 

Boyle — Remains of Boyle Abbey, 
County Roscommon 203 

€ 

"Can You Tell Me What Place This 

Is?" 324 

Claddagh, Scene in the 416 

Claddagh, View of from the Sea 41.) 

Clifford and his Forces Leaving 

Boyle (From an old print) 208 

Cong Abbey, County Mayo 79 

Costume of an Irish Soldier in the 

XIV. Century 247 

Cromleac at Howth, Aideen's Grave. 152 
Cuffe, Captain Otway (Portrait) 314 

D 

Davis, Thomas, Poet (Portrait) 299 

Dermot— Ruins of Castle Dermot 

Abbey 16 

Donegal — ^The MacSwyney Castle at 

Doe 417 

Donnelly, Miss Dorothy (Actress) 

(Portrait) 238 

Dorothy Was an Interesting Type... 34 

Duffy, Charles Gavan (Portrait) 350 

Dwyer, Michael (Portrait) 17 

E 

Emmet, Robert— Portrait of 127, 341 

Death Mask of 343 

Supposed Grave of in St. Ml- 

chan's Churchyard 342 

Supposed Grave of in the Prot- 
estant Graveyard at Glasnevin. 344 
Emmet, M. D., Thomas Addis, Por- 
trait of 34Í 

English Expedition on the March 
(From an old Print) 365 

P 

Frisble, Rev. Bro. G. T. (Portrait)... 411 
Funeral of Moran Og 2 

O 

Gallowglasses, Costume and Armor 
of 245 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Gill, Mr. T. P. (Portrait) 39S 

Gregory, Lady Augusta (Portrait)... 376 

H 

Healy, M. P., Mr. Timothy (Por- 
trait) 298 

Howth— Ireland's Eye in the Dis- 
tance 153 

Remains of Howth Abbey near 

Dublin 151 

Hugh Kneeled Down Beside Her.... 98 

I 

Interior of An Ancient Irish Home.. 244 
"It Was Hard . o Say Good-bye"-... 7 

J 

Johnstone, Mr. Jack (Portrait) 13 

Joyce, P. W.. LL. D. (Portrait) 11 

K 

Kilbannon (County Galway) Round 

Tower of 256 

Kilmainham Prison. Entrance to 165 

L 

Lady on Horseback 35 

Limerick—Defence of the Bridge at. 403 
Lough Mask Castle, Ancient Resi- 
dence of the Bourkes 112 



Macha Sped Along the Meadow 301 

••Madam, We May Not Meet 

Again" 221 

Mahon, Miss Shlela (Portrait) 258 

Map of Mac Willie ra's Country 48 

Map of the Course for the Interna- 
tional Automobile Race in Ire- 
land 190 

Map of the O'Sulllvan Beare Coun- 
try 413 

Margaret Received a Letter from 

Denis 9 

Moyne Abbey, Ruins of, from a Re^ 

cent Photograph Ill 

Moyne, Monastery of, Co. Mayo.... 80 

O 

O'Brien, Miss Nora (Actress) (Por- 
trait) 238 

O'Brien, William Smith (Portrait)... 393 
"O'Connor Sligo Lay Cooped Up at 

Colloony" 205 

O'Donoghue, Miss Julia (Portrait)... 193 
O'Growney, Rev. Eugene (Portrait). 290 
O'Mahony, Edward J. (Opera, Ora- 
torio and Concert Basso) (Por- 
trait) 274 

O'More, Rory Oge (Reproduced from 

Pacata Hlbernla) 362 

O'More, Rory Oge— XVI. Century 
English Cartoon Representing... 367 

O'Reilly, Mr. as "Father Luke" 14 

O'Sulllvan— Donall O'Sulllvan Beare 
(Portrait) 412 

P 

Parnell, Charles Stewart (Portrait).. 164 
Pat Saw a Leprahawn Busily Dig- 
ging 259 

Peasant Girl at Work 408 

Piper— Irish Piper in the Time of 

Elizabeth 206 

Procession Passing Father Ma- 

thew's Statue in Dublin 138 

Procession Passing Nelson's Pillar.. 138 



Ratcllffe Fell Severely Wounded.... 21 
Remains of St. Fintan's Church, 

Howth 

Rock, Mr., as "The Irishman" 

Rollestone, Mr. T. W. (Portrait)... 31 
Ruins at Kllbarrack, Co. Dublin... 
Ruins of The Hag's Castle, Lougrh 

Mask 

8 

St. Brendan the Voyager at Sea.... U 

St. Patrick I 

Sarsfleld— Statue of Patrick Bars- 
field, Earl of Lucan, at Ltm- 

erick It 

Scene at the Hunt 

Scene in "A Pot of Broth," Per- 
formed at Carnegie Hall, New 

York 3i: 

"She Took the Worst— a Good Look- 
ing Boy" m 

"She Was Engaged in Knitting and 

Surrounded by her Children" .... 328 
Sidney, Sir Henry (Lord Deputy) ... 364 
Sir Richard of the Curved Shield... 44 
Sparks, Mr. Isaac, as "Folgard" . . . . 14 

Stage Irishman, The 13 

Starting for the Hunt 33 

T 

Taliaferro, Miss Mabel (Actress) 

(Portrait) 23: 

The Attack on the Sedan Chairs 38" 

The Attack on Three Bullet Gate.. . 7Í 
The Battle in the Streets of Ross.. .. 74 
The Best of All Schools is an Irish 

Mother's Knee 5! 

The Dance at the Cross Roads 71 

The Desmond's Head Impaled on 

the Tower of London 291 

The Duel in the Park 22Ó 

The Fairy Hare Winked his Left 

Eye 822 

The Hurling Match 281 

The Jokers Corner lOf 

The Little Red Dog 26f 

•*The MacDermot" (Portrait) 23 

The Obstructed Road á 

"There Standing, by a Pillar, I saw 

Lady Peggy" 222 

The Riding Master's Favorite Pupil. S8f 
"This is My Mr. O'Brien," She Ex- 
claimed 337 

" 'Tis Uriel's Daughter," they 

Shouted 27» 

Tom Cut Across Country i 

Triumphant Return of the English | 
Soldiers 36( 



Wall, J. M. (Portrait) 164 

Walsh, Mr. Townsend (Actor) (Por- 
trait) 237 

Woodkerne — Irish Chieftain and 
Soldier In the Costume of the 
Period 363 

Wyndham, Mr. George (Portrait)... 169 

Y 

Yeats. Jack B.— A Town Shop at 
Christmas Time in the West of 
Ireland 422 

Yeats, William Butler (Portrait).266, 810 

•'You Must Write as I Bid You, 
Patsy" 101 

"You've Come on a Bad Day," Said 
the Old Woman 117 



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THE BURIAL OF MORAN OG. 

By REV. J. B. DOLLARD (Sliav-na-mon). 



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No 1. VOU. XXII. 
NBW SERIES. 



NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1903. 



TWBNTV-SBCONO YBAr 
OP PUBLICATION. 




The Burial of Moran Og* 

By Rev* James B« Dollard (Sliav-na-mon*) 




T was a dreary November 
(day In Moondharrig. A cold 
' mist swept across the valley 
and hid the surrounding moun- 
tains from view. Rivulets 
flowed along the sides of the 
roads, and small ponds were to 
be seen covering the flelds. It 
was a time for comfort by 
the blazing hearth, but all 
Moondharrig was abroad. Along the 
road leading from the church to the 
ancient graveyard a long funeral 
cortege was moving. 

Aa the distance was short most of 
the people were on foot, and behind 
the coffin a great body of the Gaels of 
the district walked in a solid and or- 
dered mass. It was the funeral of 
Moran Oge O'Lochlin, one of the most 
promising of the young hurlers, and 
the hearts of his brother Gaels were 
heavy and sad. A tragic touch was 
k given to the affair by the fact that 
young Moran had just spent some 



months in prison for resisting the 
"forces of the Crown" at an eviction, 
and the blame of his death was laid to 
the rough treatment he had received 
while in Jail. 

At the above-mentioned eviction, as 
the family was being driven out, one 
of the bailiffs had used vile language 
towards, and brutally struck a young 
girl, who wild with her grief clung to 
the door-post as she was being ejected. 
On the instant a tall youth burst 
through the cordon of police and dealt 
the ruffian a terrible blow which 
stretched him insensible. For this 
manly and wholly excusable act the 
representatives of an alien and unsym- 
pathetic government sentenced young 
Moran O'Lochlin to three months im- 
prisonment with hard labor. 

It was no wonder that the people 
who followed his corpse to its last rest- 
ing place were sullen and angry at 
heart, and that many a stifled impre- 
cation on the hated "Castle Rule" 



came to their lips. The coffin was 
borne on the shoulders of six stalwart 
Gaels, who walked in pairs with arms 
interlocked. Every little while they 
came to a stand, the front pair slipped 
from under the coffin, the men behind 
moved up, and two fresh and eager 
bearers came in at the rear. This 
manoeuvre was accomplished with 
great gentleness, but with small loss 
of time. 

Our acquaintances, Dermot Roche, 
Malachy Gilmartin, Pete O'Hara and 
Meehal-na-gCaman were among those 
who followed close after the coffin. To 
this four as special friends of the de- 
ceased, had been allotted the sad duty 
of carrying the body into the grave- 
yard, placing it in the grave and cov- 
ering it 

"He was very fond of you. Captain," 
Meehal-na-gCaman was saying to Der- 
mot Roche. "I remember the day ye 
hurled the Galway men, when you 
made that great play^^t^ centre, ome of 
Digitized by V^OOQlC 



THE GAEL. 



January* 1 90 3* 




the Connacht backs, a big giant of a 
fellow, ran half the length o' the field 
to get at you. But Just as he got to 
7pu Moran Og, God rest his soul, went 
at him wud' a heavy body-check an' 
they rolled over together two or three 
times. Moran tould me after that his 
shoulder an' ribs were sore for a 
month, but he didn't care as long as 
he saved the captain." 

"He was the pluckiest boy on the 
team, Meehal," said the Captain, em- 
phatically. "He didn't know what fear 
was, an' maybe the poor fellow 'd be 
alive to-day if he wasn't so hot-headed 
an' brave. I'll never forget the way 
he rode through the peelers at Car- 
rick the day they were tryin' to arrest 
William O'Brien— God bless him— I 
was right there on the spot, an' when 
I saw Moran chargin' on that wild 
horse he had I thought he was done 
for. There were two lines o' police 
with fixed bayonets, but he rode 
through 'em without a scratch, though 
two of the bayonets cut through his 
clothes." 

"He was fond of a harmless joke, 
too," put in Malachy Gilmartln. "He 



THE FUNERAL OF MORAN CO. 

often made me laugh tellin' about 
Peter Whelan's coortin— Peter, you 
know, never was a great hand at con- 
versln', and when he went to see Molly 
Dunphy — that's his wife now — they 
used to meet at the big log near 
Walshe's gate. Peter would sit on one 
end o' the log and Molly on the other, 
an' not a word 'd pass between 'em, but 
every five minnits or so Peter 'ud turn 
to her an' say: 'Well Isn't id a fright 
of a fine night, Molly?» " 

"The old father feels terrible about 
id." said Pete O'Hara. "'Tis his death 
blow I'm af eared. He was that proud 
o' him the poor old man, he used to 
follow the team everywhere to see 
Moran play. I mind one match in Dub- 
lin against Meath. Moran an' another 
player got jostlin* an' they wern't long 
at id whin the old man came in on the 
ground wua a blackthorn, wild to take 
the boy's part, an' he that quiet at 
home he wouldn't speak cross to the 
old druimin dubh,** 

"No use in talkin', it's a hard 
world," commented Meehal-na-gCa- 
man, "there's the poor old man all 
alone now at the Ind of his days." 



As the funeral had by this time ar- 
rived at the graveyard our four friends 
went forward to bear the remains to 
their last resting-place. The graveyard 
had formerly belonged to an abbey, 
part of whose walls gray with un- 
counted years was still standing. Gi- 
gantic elm and ash trees surrounded 
the place, and the breeze stirrea their 
moaning branches into a solemn dirge 
for the dead. 

Several tombstones, green and tot- 
tering with age were scattered around, 
and a venerable Celtic Cross, mournful 
relic of the dim past, after the storms 
of centuries still stood bravely erect 
It was indeed a solemn and a lonely 
place, and at night when the mournful 
force of the moon looked at one 
through the broken abbey windows, 
and the shadow of tne Celtic Cross fell 
darkly o'er the moss-covered stones, 
thoughts of death and the hereafter, 
sombre thoughts impossible to express 
came into the mind. 

As Dermot Roche and his compan- 
ions bore the coffin in, and laid it by 
the empty grave, Moran Oge's father, 



mf^- 



January» 1903* 



THE GAEL. 



Into a passionftte lament, unburdening 
hla great sorrow in the expresaiTe 
Gaelic tongue: 

"Moran. a mhie mo chroidhe bh^fuU 
iu marbhl hh-fuU tu marbh." (Moran, 
ion of mj heart, are you dead? are 
rou dead.) Oh, yeln of mj heart, light 
of m/ eyes, treasure of my years, and 
do you know who they are that carry 
you to your long sleep? They are the 
friends of your heart with whom you 
delighted to be. Often have you play- 
ed together on the baum, and your feel 
were swift as the wolf-hounds, your 
eye sure, and your arm strong and 
skilled to strike the ball through the 
posts, mo chroidhe. They'll miss you, 
Moran, a mhio, on the hurling field, 
bnt your old father will miss you more 
than all! 

•"Tis you that were the comfort of 
his life, and earned the bread for his 
eating. The horses heeded your voice 
in the ploughing-fleld and the furrow 
you made was straight as a beam of 
the rainy sun. The people passing 
stopped to admire the straight, 
smooth -turned sods and to hear your 
cheery greeting when you turned at 
the headland. They'll miss you from 
field and headland, but, mo bhron, I'll 
miss you more than all. 

"Three nights ago a mhio mo chroidhe 
coming from Portlaw Fair along the 
banks of the Suir, near the old castle 
of Gurtheen I heard the Banshee cry 
aloud in the night. 

"Och aneel but 'twas a bitter cry, and 
the flesh of my heart shook and the 
sweat came out on my brow with the 
woe and loneliness of it Moran 
DhUiah I prayed to Qod's son that died 
for us that you might not be taken, but 
myself instead, an old broken man. 

•Tie willed it otherwise— aye— but 
did He will it?" Here a terrible change 
came upon the afflicted father, a whirl- 
wind of passion shook him, his face 
grew dark and scowling, his voice loud 
and strident, so that many of the peo- 
ple fell away from him In terror. 

"Ay did He will it? No! You were 
murdered, my noble boy. They mur- 
.dered you, the hounds of hell, the 
'heartless Sassenach! May the curse 
iof a heart-broken father fall on the 
English dogs that tracked you to 
death." 

Going on his knees by his son's 
prave the unhappy man now poured 
lortb the most awful maledictions on 
gngrland, and the British government 
Irhlch he held responsible for his son's 
Heath. As he poured forth these ter- 
rible imprecations a sort of silent awe 



fell on the crowd. No one stirred un- 
til at last Dermot Roche approached 
and touching the old man on the 
shoulder said quietly: 

"'Tis time for the prayer now, sir; 
wo have the grave filled in." 

At the touch O'Loughlln stood up 
and looked around him wildly, like one 
awakening from a horrible dream. 

"The prayer," he gasped. "Of course 
—the prayer. Then in a piteous cry 
"Oh Moran, a mhie, my innocent boy, 
have I been cursing over your grave, 
you that never hurt man or beast, that 
never had a bad word in your mouth? 
Forgive me, oh God, and you Moran 
down in the cold clay, forgive me— 
forgive—" 

The old man suddenly put his hand 
to his forehead, staggered uncertain 
for a moment — tried again to speak, 
then with a low, weak cry fell insen- 
sible into the strong arms of the Cap- 
tain of the Hurlers. 



THIS good story comes from Scot- 
land. A traveler observing an 
ancient couple arguing and ges- 
ticulating in the road, in order to avert 
bloodshed asked the cause of the dis- 
pute. "We're no deesputin' at a'," an- 
swered the man; "we're baith o' the 
same mind. I hae got a half-crown bi 
ma pooch, an' she thinks she's no gaun 
to get it— an' I think the same." 



My Share O' The World 

My share o' the world. 

With your brown head curled- 
Close to my fond heart so cosily. 

To the island of dreams 

'Neath the pale moonbeams 
You've i.own on the wings of the 
Bluagh sidhe* 

On the yellow strand 
Of that bright dreamland. 
Where day dies never, you'll wander 
free. 
Tin your boat of pearl — 
Like a silver curl, 
On the green-streamed sea, bears 
you back to me. 

Then safe on my bosom 

Oh, pink- white blossom 

You'll rest till the night's dark wings 

are furled. 

When the dawn of your sleeping— 

A blue eye peeping. 

Shall greet me, a Icanhh^, my share 

o' the world. 

CATHAL O'BYRNB. 

Beersbrldg e Road, Belfast. 

*8luaoh 8iúhc, pronounced slua shee, 
tho fairy host. 
\A leanhh, pronounced a Ihaniv, child. 



The Gaelic League In Long- 
ford« 

THE little town of Longford, in the 
centre of Ireland, has two flour- 
ishing branches of the Gaelic 
League. Verily has the seed of Irish 
nationality taken root and a new soul 
is once more coming slowly but surely 
into the heart of Ireland. To us it. is 
pleasant to read this cheering news. 
Longford was, until very recently, the 
most backward spot in Ireland so f&r 
as Irish national life and character 
were concerned. It was a stronghold of 
Anglicization and aooininiem, but the 
light of an Irish Ireland has penetrat- 
ed the darkness and a new spirit is 
coming into tho people. Thanks to the 
good work of Mr. Thomas J. O'Boyle 
(Conall Oulban), and his able and 
patriotic assistants, both ladies and 
gentlemen, who rank among the best 
known commercial and professional 
life in Longphvirt ui Fhearghail, the 
ancient name of the county as well as 
the name by which the men's branch 
of tho League is known. 

Prominent among the Gaelic League 
workers in Longford we may mention 
Mr. Patrick Hanley, Mr. Thomas J. 
O'Boyle (Conall Gulban), Mr. F. R. 
O'SuUiyan, Mr. Thomas O'Connoll, Mr. 
J. Cullins; the Misses Thornton, O'Sul- 
liyan, McHugh, Yaughan ^nd McNer- 
ney. 

Classes for the study of the language 
are held at the rooms of the League, 
Market Square, for men, every evening 
except Saturday and Sunday; and for 
ladies at their club-room in Bally- 
mahon Street, every Tuesday and 
Thursday evenings. Mr. O'Connell acts 
as instructor in the ladies' branch. 

'The Roscommon Herald," which 
circulates largely in Longford, has 
done and continues to do splendid 
work for the advancement of the Gaelic 
League in that district. The editor is 
to be congratulated for the magnificent 
enterprise which characterizes every 
feature of his paper. The Gaelic De- 
partment, conducted by Conall Gulban, 
shows marks of scholarship and eru- 
dition not often met with in many of 
our pretentious metropolitan Journals. 
Beir buadh agus beannacht, a Chonaill 
calma, crodha, guithbhinn, Oulbain, 
ague gaoghal fada dhuitl 




THE GAEL. 



January, I903. 




An Irishman's Impressions of a Fds CeoiL 




r 



fN the last issue of 
this magazine we 
printed a cl e t e r 
sketch of a meeting at 
Galway between Mr. 
William Bulfin, editor 
of **The Southern 
Cross/' Buenos Aires, 
and Dr. Douglas Hyde, 
Vice-President of the 
Gaelic League in Ire- 
land. The story of 
their meeting and in- 
terruption by Mr. W. 
B. Yeats, the poet, was 
told very amusingly 
by Mr. Bulfin. 
Later on, he attend- 
ed the Feia Ceoil, held in Galway, and 
sent his impressions of the affair to his 
paper in Buenos Aires for publication. 
This description has at last reached 
us (by way of South America), and we 
present it to our readers as the Im- 
pressions made on a long absent Irish- 
man by a genuine Irish function. 

We compliment Mr. Bulfln on his 
keen appreciation and felicity of ex- 
pression, in describing the Feis. 

"I was present during the greater 
part of the competitions on the 21st 
and I also attended the gala perform- 
ance given on the same evening in the 
Town Hall. Dr. Hyde was for placing 
me on the platform with the Most Rev. 
Dr. MacCormack, Bishop of Galway, 
and Dr. O'Hickey and Edward Martyn 
and Fr. Considine, the leader of the 
Galway Gaels, but I managed to escape 
without discourtesy and get in among 
the people. 

"The Editor of An Claidheamh Soluis 
offered me a ticket for the reserved 
seats, but I begged to be allowed to 
decline it, and consequently I went in 
amongst the crowd in the gallery, and 
was thus in the best of positions to 
feel the pulse of the occasion as it 
were. 

"During the competitions also I 
spent most of the time in the thick of 



the audience. I wanted to find out at 
first hand wnat the people were think- 
ing and saying; and the best way of 
doing that is to go quietly into a crowd 
with eyes and ears open. 

"The singing competitions were of 
various kinds; men*s solos, women's 
solos, quartettes, duets and choral 
singing. All were of great Interest I 
think the men's solos attracted most 
attention. The hero of the contest was 
Padraic Barret, of Galway. Another 
fine singer was Seamus O'Brennan. of 
Roscommon. Nicholas O'Halloran, of 
Galway, also sang remarkably well. 

"There were over a dozen competi- 
tors and not one of them sang badly. 
The palm was awarded to Padraic Bar- 
rett. His style was the old, melodious, 
traditional Irish style. He sang, as all 
Irish traditional singers do, without 
accompaniment. It was in listening to 
Padraic that I made a discovery. We 
have not lost the traditional style of 
singing in my own part of the coun- 
try, although we have lost the lan- 
guage. The lilt of the milkmaid and 
the ploughman and the strains of the 
parish singers at wedding or dance are 
all in the traditional style. The airs 
are the same, although they are allied 
to English words. There is a great 
deal of melody in this style. The notes 
dovetail into one another UKe the notes 
of a 'cello. 

"Compared with modern singing 
wherein harmony has so frequently 
the advantage over melody, Irish tra- 
ditional singing is the 'cello compared 
to the piano. The Galway audience 
left no doubt on my mind as to which 
style they preferred. They were un- 
animous in favor of traditional sing- 
ing. The singers who sang Irish airs 
to the accompaniment of the piano, 
and phrased their vocallsm in the mod- 
ern way were applauded, but they 
evoked no real enthusiasm. They 
could not touch the hearts of the peo- 
ple as the traditional singers did. In 
the modern style the singer cannot al- 



ways be understood. His words are 
drowned in his notes. But in tradi- 
tional singing the vocalist can be un- 
derstood perfectly. Every word is dis- i 
tinct 

"The Judges take three things into | 
consideration — time, correctness of air, 
and correctness of pronunciation. I 
believe they give as many marks for 
correctness of pronunciation as for 
correctness of air. Dr. Hyde, Miss 
O'Farrelly, and all the scholastic Gaels , 
whom I Interrogated on this question i 
said that the modern style will not do 
at all. It can only give negative re- 
sults and will have to be discarded for 
the traditional style. 

"The dancing would put motion into 
the feet of a marble statue. Of course i 
the music was excellent It came from 
the bag-pipes. I ought to tell you that 
first there was a bag-pipes comi>etition 
between Denis Delaney, of Ballinasloe. , 
Peter McDonagh, of Galway, and Mar- ' 
tin Reilly, of Galway. 

"It was a fine thing to see the Gaela i 
leading in the pipers, for the three mu- | 
sicians were blindmen. The competi-J 
tion included three pieces — an air, a 
reel and a jig. The pipers were three I 
noted men in their art and each play- 1 
ed his best Martin Reilly won, but 
no one was surprised at this, as he has 
the name of being the best piper imj 
Ireland. The rule is that the piper 
who is declared the winner in the pipeBJ 
competition is chosen to play for th«Í 
dancing. Each competitor tells thmi 
piper what to play, and with sooAJ 
music, a favorite tune, and a perfect 
floor, the performance could not baj 
anything but splendid. { 

"The only competitiors were fit^maj 
Galway and they were all of the sent-! 
ler sex. There were six in all — ond 
married woman and five girls. Wlt^ 
one exception they were all from tliij 
Claddagh. It was a beautiful sight^ 
The girls were dressed in red skirtd 
and the old-fashioned yellow Bhawlu 
They were alVtypically and oeautifuM 

Digitized by VjC i 



January» Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



Irish in face and form — ^some were 
only nine or ten years old, some were 
nearly twenty. But such eyes and hair 
and such complexions and expressions 
you would go far to equal. The Glad- 
dash people are of a splendid race, and 
their women are amongst the comeliest 
in Europa 

"The winner of the prize was Mrs. 
CToole. Her dancing was wonderful 
— a poem. They were all excellent 
dancers, hut she was easily the hest, 
in style, grace, and time. There was a 
little daughter of hers in the competi- 
tion and she would have been awarded 
the second prize only she danced too 
quick. The piper played his quickest 
reel and Jig, but she was before him. 
Tlie dancing competition also included 
a four-handed reel. The audience 
cheered themselves hoarse over the 
heel-and^oe and the bag^pipes. I have 
rarely seen such enthusiasm anywhere. 

"The single reels aild Jigs were 
danced by each competitor upon a 
raised dais about six feet square, so 
that each step could be seen; and as 
the notes of the pipes were shaken out 
in mad melodiousness the dancer threw 
herself into the spirit of the music and 
forgot all about the judges and about 
the crowd. She seemed to be cutting 
notes out of the floor, and kicking 
them here and there with her flying 
feet. 

"Such tip-toeing, crossing, and doub- 
ling I never saw before. When it was 
all over I found myself roaring with 
the rest, and with somebody's child 
held at arms' length above my head 
so that she might see the fun. The 
child's fawner was taking her back 
from me. He had been holding an- 
other of the children himself. He said 
a whole lot to me In Irish, and the 
eyes of him were fairly ablaze with 
merriment, but to my shame I didn't 
know what it was. 
*• 'My God! If I could only understand 
you!' I said— but I said it in Spanish. 
It is at such moments that an Irish- 
man feels most keenly the shame of 
not knowing his own language. I have 
learned some of it since I came home, 
but it is only by practice that you can 
acquire any degree of facility in speak- 
ing it. That is of course the only way 
to acquire facility in any language. 

"I want to tell you something now 
about Irish drama, that is, about drama 
written in the Irish language and in 
an Irish spirit. The day is coming, if 
Indeed it has not already come, when 
there will be no need to particularize 
an Irish production by saying that it 



is Irish in language and spirit. Al- 
ready you will hear people saying: 
"He's an Irishman," meaning "he's an 
Irish speaker." They imply the dis- 
tinction unconsciously. But of these 
matters I will write more fully later 
on when I have verified all my obser- 
vations made up to the present. Suf- 
fice it to say that events are marching 
rapidly in Irish Ireland, development 
crowds upon development, and a com- 
plete and fundamental revolution of 
Irish thought is going on. 

"The drama which was presented to 
the public for the first time at the Feis 
Connacht was a little one-act piece by 
Dr. Douglas Hyde, entitled 'An Posadh' 
(The Wedding). The plot is simple, 
but the motif is very human and, in 
elaborating it, the author brings out 
some of the best points of the Irish 
character. 

"There is a newly wedded pair who 
are in some trouble. They are very, 
very poor, and it is the evening of their 
wedding day. The husband's poverty 
disagreeably surprises the wife, who 
fancied that he was 'snug.' She gives 
expression to some feelings of disap- 
pointment on finding herself in his 
squalid home, but he tries to comfort 
her by reminding her that they are the 
whole world to each other. She is try- 
ing to find consolation in this and Is 
preparing their extremely frugal meal 
of bread and boiled eggs, when a 
stranger arrives. The stranger is the 
hero of the piece — ^Raftery, the blind 
Connacht poet. He is famishing for 
the want of food which he has not 
tasted for twelve hours, and the fiddle 
which he carries trembles in his feeble 
hands as he lays it on the table and 
takes the chair which they bring him. 
They give him their own meal and he 
eats it greedily. With true Irish hos- 
pitality they deprive themselves of 
food in order to feed the wandering 
stranger. 

"The role of the blind poet was fill- 
ed by Dr. Douglas Hyde, who is a born 
actor. The other parts were also cred- 
itably filled, so that even those who 
only understood a word or two here 
and there in the dialogue could still 
follow the argument of the play by the 
action alone. 

"It appears that good luck followed 
anybody who was kind to Raftery, and 
that anybody upon whom he composed 
sarcastic verses was considered to 
have met with a misfortune. Anyhow, 
soon after Raftery begins to play his 
fiddle in honor of his kind hosts, pres- 
ents begin to arrive. In comes one 



neighbor to bring them a bag of flour 
as a wedding gift. Another follows 
with a bag of meal. Bacon, eggs, vege- 
tables, pigs' feet, a fleece of wool for 
the carding, and other gifts come in 
rapid succession. 

"Raftery sits there commenting on 
each gKt as it arrives. He make» 
verses full of keen Irish wit on every-^ 
thing and everybody. As each neigh* 
bor delivers his gift to the wedded 
pair, Raftery asks him or her for a 
largesse. They do not refuse. They 
are all delighted to see him. They 
shake his hand in Joy and sing hl« 
praises, and as he rolls out his versified 
laudations of them they put money on 
the little plate which he keeps near 
his elbow and shakes from time to 
time in order to remind them that he 
is open to receiving a little gift from 
his admirers. 

"One old miser comes In with a few 
groceries for the wedded lovers, and 
all he gives Raftery is a pinch of snuff. 
Raftery makes such Jokes about this 
that the miser is nearly laughed out 
of his senses. He upbraids the poet 
with his unkindness, but Raftery fiiea 
into a passion and tells him that un- 
less he puts a sovereign on the plat» 
there will be a poem made about him: 
that will blacken his name in all Ire- ' 
land down the ages to the fiftieth gen- 
eration. Moreover, bad luck will fol- 
low him, and he will lose all his coin 
and cattle and land. 

"The miser terrified by this shells 
out his sovereign, and then, after a 
dance to Rafcery's playing, the guests 
depart. While the lovers are admiring 
all the good things which have come 
in, Raftery steals away, leaving the 
plateful of money behind him. They 
were kind to him; they gave him all 
they had. He will repay them; he 
gives them all he has to give of world- 
ly wealth. When they find the plate 
and the money they are moved to tears 
at his kindness. They rush out to call 
him back, but he has disappeared — 
gone off on his rambles into the silent 
night. 

"It is a beautiful piece. It moves 
you strangely, powerfully, deeply. 
There is laughter as well as tears in 
it. I don't know what the critics will 
say about it. But for my part I call 
it a work of genius. It is Irish through 
and through; and it is the highest of 
art in its sweet simplicity, in its help- 
ful spirituality, and in Its beautiful ex- 
position of human life as men and wo- 
men lived in Raftery's days. There ia 
nothing gross or ma^e];Ialistic o& im- 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



pure about it The subject U holy, the 
treatment of it is a poem, the moral 
of it is a sermon. 

"But if you were to see how they 
shouted and applauded, aye, and even 
cried when the play was finished. The 
author received an ovation which 
would make any one feel proud. They 
called him all the enaearing Irish 
names they could think ol as he stood 
there in his ragged toggery bowing 
with the serene and winsome grace 
which is his birthright Then he 
spoke to them, and when the other 
Items on the programme were over he 
spoke to them again. He spoke In 
Irish. Artful, playful, genius that he 
Is, he thanked them Raftery-like, In 
Terse, for their applause, and then 
when the time came to deliver a elos» 
Ing address, he turned to prose. I have 
rarely seen an audience so responsive. 
"An Craoibhin, as they call him, is 
one of the greatest moral forces that 
Ireland has known for a long time. 
And yet his leadership is suggested 
rather than positively enforced. He 
rules by love alone. In precept and ex- 
ample he is an Irish Irelander, and he 
gives to the cause with which he has 
so unselfishly allied himself the pres- 
tige of his splendid scholarship and of 
his undoubted genius. Tet he does not 
push himself forward. He has to be 
dragged. He never takes half the lead 
that his friends would cheerfully give 
him. He keeps as far as possible in 
the background. To what he may 
come I cannot say. But that his name 
Is destined to live long and gloriously 
In the history of our land I am as cer- 
tain as that the Irish revival move- 
ment is the coming force in Irish life. 
"And now a closing word about 
Irish oratory. I can only judge of it, 
ui>rortunately, from two standpoints: 
the sound of it, and the effect It has 
upon an audience. I heard several 
lirish addresses at the Feis, All were 
In the same style. The accent of all 
the speakers was more or less the 
same. I learned too that each speaker 
dealt in plain, concise, practical ideas, 
and expressed them, in terse and vig- 
orous modern Irish. So far so good. 
Here then is a plain statement of how 
all this sounded to a plain man. 

"At first the sound of Irish oratory 
Is a little harsh to the untrained and 
unaccustomed ear. But this is only 
for a moment or two. There is a deep 
note of passionate earnestness in the 
rugged majesty of the words, and 
there Is a sledge-hammer power in the 
sonorous roll of the sentences. In the 



THE GAEL. 

Irish there are sounds as sibilant as 
the Italian, as mouth-filling as the 
Spanish, as nasal as the French, as 
gutteral as the German, as deep as the 
English. But the language resembles 
none of these. It appears to belong to ' 
another sphere altogether. It seems 
like a language which would disdain 
many of the assonances and cadences 
and rhythms that are tuneful only to 
the ear. It seems to have been coined 
laboriously by men who had grand and 
great and glowing things to say to 
each other. It bursts impetuously in 
huge masses of sound through the 
sense of hearing and knocks thunder- 
ously at the heart and soul of a man. 
And meantime it is not unmusical. It 
la not by any means flat or sharp. But 
there is no fluting about it There is 
no whine in it Its diapason is essen- 
tially masculine. It is the big organ 
among the languages, with many reg- 
isters, able to run up and down the 
gamut of human feeling and touch 
every responsive flbre of being, and 
sound the depths of joy and sorrow, 
and rouse to lofty passion and to the 
noblest endeavor. This I say, from 
attentively listening to the sound of 
the language and observing its effects 
upon audiences who understood it 

"In singing, the Irish language is 
singularly sweet It is not the Italian 
sweetness, nor the German sweetness 
(for the German, in song, is one of the 
most musical of languages). The 
sweetness in Irish song is unique, and 
you cannot describe it It has a won- 
drous appeal in it At the Fei8 the 
test song in one of the competitions 
was "Cuilfhlonn" (CouUn). When 
Caitilin Ni Bhraonain (Miss Kathleen 
Brennan) sang it in the traditional 
style it pulled you all to pieces. 

"In the grand concert at the Town 
Hall the choir from the Claddagh 
school sang the Shan Van Vocht. I 
never heard the silvery voices of chil- 
dren blended so melodiously. Their 
singing was something extraordinary. 
How such music could be evolved out 
of human speech was a mystery, and 
at the same time a revelation. But 
then so was the Feis itself. It was 
grand. Only for it my visit to Galway 
would have given me more bitterness 
of soul than I could have shaken off 
in a month. As it was, I left Galway 
with hope—for Galway and for Ire- 
land." 




January, J903# 
Yorke An Incapible Critic» 

IT happens frequently, that whenever 
a certain sort of writer attempts 
to ridcule someone who is his su- 
perior he succeeds merely in exposing 
his own ignorance. The Editor of the 
"Leader" of San Francisco apparently 
is seeking to get himself advertised by 
attacking others. If one may judge 
from his weekly abuse of Catholic uni- 
versities, Catholic priests and Catholic 
lay editors, he is a sorehead of the first 
magnitude— the Supreme Grand Croak- 
frog of the Pacific Coast In the latest 
Issue of his self-styled "Leader" he re- 
marks: 

"The 'New World* of Chicago it 
weeping tears of joy. It has just learn- 
ed by special dispatch over its own 
private wire— the shortest in the 
world — ^that Surgeon-General Robert 
of the Army is a practical Catholic. 
Its lacrimal torrent breaks over the 
levees, when it reflects that our own 
'Jim' Smith is a good Catholic and that 
the first Assistant Postmaster General 
is a Catholic; and becomes a perfect 
deluge at the thought that Bishop 
Spalding of the Coal Miners' Strike 
C!ommission is a Catholic. Blow soft- 
ly, ye zephyrs of Lake Michigan, and 
break gently the news that the Pope is 
a Catholic, and the Emperor of Austria 
and the King of the Belgians and the 
Queen Regent of Spain and the Negus 
of Abyssinia; break it gently lest the 
/soulful lay editor of Chicago be drown- 
ed in his own tears." 

This is unadulterated rot It is un- 
qualifiedly false that the 'New World' 
"learned by special dlspatcn over its 
own private wire" that Surgeon (Jen- 
eral O'Reilly is a Catholic. Second, no 
Catholic lay editor in this countrr 
would be such an absolute fool as to 
write of "the Queen Regent of Spain" 
since King Alfonso's accession to the 
throne. Third, King Leopold of Bel- 
gium is not a practical Catholic. 
Fourth, the Negus of Abyssinia is not 
a Catholic at all. 

Such are the blunders of a cackling 
charlatan who, for months, has been 
abusing Catholic priests and laymen, 
the country over, through the columns 
of his execrable sheet Whenever "The 
New World" desires advice as to how 
its pages ought to be conducted it will 
apply to someone more capable than 
the San Francisco philanderer. For 
years he has been showing his admir- 
ing friends that he is afflicted with 
elephantiasis; now he is merely show- 
ing them that his big head is very 
sore. — The New World, Chicago. 



D>n*t fall to proc re Kbb Wiif.-LOW4 800THIVI 
Stbup 'or jmr c 1 'd "en while ouiilg teeth It 
■00 hei be child, «oftens the gnm» ftU«ye all pais. 
cure* «I a c iMc. aal li f-e b'tt remedy for 
dlarr ce • . ^-^ j 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



lanuary, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 





ARGARBT O'KELLY 
sat in a train speed- 
ing homewards. She 
leaned out of the 
window to catch 
the first breath of 
the bog-land air. and the color rushed 
back to her pale cheeks and the light 
to her quiet brown eyes as she recog- 
nized with delight the familiar objects 
which met her view. 

It was good to be going home. She 
had been well content to work for a 
while in the city, but her heart had 
hungered all the time for home. Her 
thoughts were busy. She wanted to 
give herself up undisturbed to the en- 
joyment of thinking these thoughts. 
Her fellow-travelers had decided that 
the pretty, quiet looking girl, dressed 
simply but tastefully in dark blue Irish 
homespun, was unsociable when she 
declined their offers of magazines and 
gave abstracted replies to their re- 
marks, so they soon left her to her own 
devices. She proceeded to enjoy the 
greatest luxury of a person who is 
usually busy, an idle hour in which to 
do nothing but think over pleasant 
thoughts. 

Margaret O'Kelly had been a teacher 
In a technical school in Dublin and for 
nearly a year she had not revisited her 
native village in the plains of Leinster. 
GQie was an orphan, the only child of 
Martin and Mary u'Kelly, who belong- 



ed to the tenant family class, 
and she had been brought up Uy 
her unele and aunt, Michael anJ 
Kate MacSweeney, who kept a 
small general shop. The Mac- 
Sweeneya were kind enough 
, gnardiana If not very judicious 
ones, and they would have been 
satiafled if their niece had re- 
mained with them "to lend a 
hand with the shop/' and to 
look alter her younger cousins» 
till she "set up" in a house of her own. 
But Margaret's disposition was an in- 
dependent one. She wished to be self- 
supporting. She therefore qualified 
herself as a teacher in a technical 
school, and having secured a post in 
Dublin, she set out to seek her for- 
tune. 




IT WAS HARD TO SAY OOOD-BY. 



ed to the tenant family class, and 8h« 
had been brought up by her uncle and 
aunt, Michael and Kate MacSweeney, 
who kept a small general shop. Th« 
MacSweeneys were kind enough guar- 
dians If not very Judicious ones, and 
they would have been satisfied If their 
niece had remained with them "to lend 
a hand with the shop/* and to look 
after her younger cousins, till she "set 
up" !n a house of her own. But Mar- 
garet's disposition was an independent 
one. She wished to be self-supporting. 
She therefore qualified herself as a 
teacher in a technical school, and hav- 
ing secured a post in Dublin, she set 
out to seek her fortune. 

It was a wrench to tear herself away 
from the only place she knew, and 
where the only people she knew and 
cared for lived. She had never been 
strongly attached to her uncle and 
aunt, but she was fond of her little 
cousins and she was still fonder of 
some of her school companions and 
neighbors, while she reckoned among 
her best friends Father James Mac- 
Dermott, the parish priest, and Dr. 
Dan Delaney, the dispensing doctor. 
Both Father James and Dr. Dan could 
be gruff enough to those who did not 
gain their approval, but they had al- 
ways a word and a smile for quiet lit- 
tle Margaret Her sweet, serious ways 
and gentle good sense gained their 
good opinion, and Father James used 
to say that she had more in her than 
all the rest of the girls in the parish 
put together. 

It was hard to say good-bye to all 
these friends but it was harder still to 
say good-bye to Denis O'Daly. On the 
evening that he and she clasped hands 
for the last time at the stile she knew 
in all its intensity the bitterness of 
parting. Denis and she had known 
each other all their lives, and had 
loved each other all their lives. It 



8 



THE GAEL. 



January^ Í903* 



seemed to Margaret that her loye was 
part of herself. She could no mora' 
help loving Denis than she could help 
breathing. He had grown into her 
heart and until her heart ceased to 
beat it must beat in unison with his. 
Perhaps her nature was the higher and 
fftronger of the two, but if his lacked 
anything she did not recognize the 
fact 

She had idealized him and invested 
him with all the qualities which she 
would have liked her lover to possess. 
The Intensity of their feelings made 
words appear halting and inadequate, 
and they spoke little of their love, rest- 
ing content in the assurance of one 
and their perfect comprehension. But 
on the last evening a long pent-up feel- 
ing gave way and found expression in 
vehement protestations on the man's 
side, in blinding tears on the girl's 
side. Holding her hands fast he 
begged her again and again not to for- 
get him among all the new faces she 
would see and all the new friends she 
might make, and she said simply: 

"Ah, sure Denis, you know well I 
was never one to change. I'll be true 
to you. Don't doubt me and I won't 
doubt you, either." 

Denis took Heaven to witness that 
he would never change. Then for the 
first time in her life she let him take 
her in his arms and kiss her as his 
promised wife, and they walked home 
together through the fields, their 
hearts oppressed with a strange mix- 
ture of grief and gladness. 

The year in Dublin passed quickly 
after all, as time fully occupied always 
does, and Margaret led an exception- 
ally busy life. Not only was her work 
in the school engrossing, but she had 
Joined the ranks of the busiest body in 
the world, the Gaelic League, the mem- 
bers of which work harder "for love 
of the cause" than other people do for 
a livelihood. 

Margaret immediately on her arrival 
in Dublin had been engulfed in a wave 
of enthusiasm which at that time was 
sweeping over the working classes in 
the capital, filling them with noble im- 
pulses and urging them to strenuous 
endeavors. 

"Irish Ireland" was the rallying cry 
of the earnest enthusiastic souls with 
whom it was Margaret's good fortune 
to be thrown; "Irish Ireland" was the 
ideal which they had set themselves to 
realize. They counted no sacrifice ex- 
cept that of principle too great to 
make, no labor too tedious or exhaust- 



ing to undertake, no obstacles too for- 
midable to overcome, in order to real- 
ize the beautiful, grand iaeal embodied 
in those two magic words "Irish Ire- 
land." 

The seed fell on good soil when the 
sowers planted it in Margaret's heart 
She drank in eagerly the new doc- 
trines, new to her and to so many oth- 
ers, but in reality old as Truth itself. 
She had always instinctively sought 
for the true and beautiful, and in the 
new gospel she found what she had 
longed for. 

Margaret's first thought was: "How 
beautiful a prospect life is in the light 
of this new day." Her second thought 
was: "I must share my new-found 
treasure with Denis. Denis and I 
must share everything, feel every- 
thing, know everything together. Denis 
will be as eager and delighted as I am. 
I must write at once to tell Denis." 

So she sat down to write to him, and 
tried to impart to him the inspiring 
knowledge which had come to her, 
laying her burning thoughts and hopes 
and fears, her longings ana strivings 
for "the cause" before him whom she 
loved. Denis' reply was somewhat dis- 
appointing. It was not that he was 
not ready to endorse all that she said, 
but he did not seem to be able to en- 
tirely enter into her feelings. 

"Whatever you say and think must 
be right, my dear," he wrote, "but I 
don't rightly understand your mean- 
ing yet. It's new and strange to me. 
We never hear that twind of talk down 
here. You have different ways and no- 
tions up in the city it seems, but I am 
sure when I hear it all from your lips 
and listen to your voice I'll understand 
things better— and I'll like whatever 
you like and think whatever you 
think, and do whatever you wish. It's 
dreary work waiting for you. I find 
it very hard to get on without you, 
dear. I wish the time could be hur- 
ried up between this and your holiday 
time, and I don't think I'll let you 
back again once I have you down here, 
that is if you can be satisfied for the 
rest of your days with such a dull 
place as this, and such a dull fellow 
as I am. 

"I know I am not good enough for 
you, Margaret, but such as I am I trust 
you won't give me up for any of those 
'Irish Irelanders' you talk about in 
your letter, whatever sort of people 
they may be. I am afraid I don't un- 
derstand all yonr fine talk, but I love 
you truly." 
Such was Denis' reply, and though 



Margaret found it rather nnsatisfae- 
tory she did not attribute its unsatis- 
factory character to any want la 
Denis, but to the defective manner in 
which she must have explained her 
"notions." 

"It will be all right when we meet/' 
she told herself. "With my hand in 
his I can tell him all so much better 
than I can write it He will enter in* 
to my ideas then and we will be one 
in heart and mind, and we will devote 
our lives to working together towards 
the realization of my—of our ideal.*' 

So the time passed till Margaret 
found herself on the train Joumeyinip 
homeward. When she reached the sta- 
tion it was with a pang of disappointr 
ment she found that Denis had not 
come to meet her, but she knew this 
feeling of disappointment to be unrea- 
sonable. Denis' father was what ths 
neighbors called "a crusty old cus- 
tomer." He kept his sons hard at work 
on the farm, and holidays were few 
and far between with them. So Mar- 
garet told herself it was not Denis* 
fault that he had not come to meet 
her, and she comforted herself with 
the refiection that this evening at the 
old trysting place, the stile in the 
meadow, he and she would be clasping 
hands. 

Mr. Michael MacSweeney, J. P., had 
driven to the station in his battered 
gig to meet his niece. Mr. MacSweeney. 
J. P., seemed to have grown stouter 
and more enlivened than ever, and to 
his fastidious niece his manners ap- 
peared even more commonplace than 
his looks. When the first greetings 
were exchanged Margaret lapsed into 
silence wondering uncomfortably if 
she would find all her home surround- 
ings as uncongenial as she found her 
uncle, who distressed her very much 
by stopping at a public house for a 
drink on the way home, and annoyed 
and humiliated her by keeping her 
waiting in the trap quite ten minutes 
while he refreshed himself. 

"Perhaps Aunt Kate and the chil- 
dren will be wiser," she refiected, but 
when she arrived at her destination 
she found that her other relatives were 
no "wiser" to her mind than the first 
specimen of the family she had en- 
countered on her return. 

She was welcomed home warmly but 
there was a restraint and lack of ease 
in the intercourse of the members of 
the household with the relative who 
had returned home after her prolonged 
absence. She and^they moved on dii- 

'«'•'tt^lfi^'by Google 



January, 1903* 



THE GAEL» 




MAROARBT GOT A LETTER PROM DENIS- 



Margaret heaved a sigh of discour- 
agement, almost despair, as she looked 
around and saw the materials existing 
under this roof out of which Irish Ire- 
land was to be built up. Shoddy, 
shoddy, everywhere. Nothing genuine, 
nothing original, nothing uplifting, 
nothing beautiful. She sighed again 
as she looked at the trashy books on 
the parlor table, at the daubs of pic- 
tures on the walls, at the inane songs 
piled on the Jingling, tuneless piano, 
and finally at the children, Sylvia and 
Sylvester, living witnesses of their 
parents' stupid vulgarity. 

The MacSweeneys' downward prog- 
ress might be traced in the nomencla- 
ture of their children. The two eldest 
were called by family names; Annie, 
after her maternal grandmother, and 
Coleman after his paternal grandfath- 
er, while the two younger were called 
Sylvia and Sylvester after the hero 
and heroine of a favorite novelette of 
their mother's. 

Mrs. MacSweeney, garbed in a greasy 
black silk dress sat all day in the 
6tuffy, untidy parlor behind the shop 
readmg fashion journals and novel- 
ettes from which retirement she 
emerged to attend to customers when 
the latter announced their presence by 



rapping on the shop counter. She 
then, in the Intervals of gossiping, 
dealt out shoddy loreign manufactured 
goods to the neighbors, and neither 
shop-keeper nor customer ever gave a 
thought to the fact that they were 
helping to strangle the life out of their 
unfortunate country. 

The atmosphere In which Margaret 
found herself was anything but Invig- 
orating, but she kept her heart up as 
well as she could, hoping and yearning 
for a word about Denis. When would 
It come? She could not summon up 
courage to ask for him, but she longed 
with heart-sick longing to hear what 
she shyly shrank from asking. The 
word was spoken soon enough In the 
end. 

"Did you hear the news about your 
old friend Denis O'Daly?" asked Mrs. 
MacSweeney. "He sailed for the States 
last week." 

It was the same world as It had been 
before Mrs. MacSweeney spoke. The 
same to everyone else except Margaret 
It would never be the same again to 
her. Her Ideal was shattered. Denis, 
In whom she had believed. Denis whom 
she had loved, Denis had failed her. 
But It was necessary to face life still. 
To meet Mrs. MacSweeney's Inquisitive 



glance with a smiling face and make 
an apparently careless rejoinder to 
that announcement which had changed 
the whole outlook of her life. She sue* 
ceeded in keeping up an appearance 
of Indifference for the remainder of the 
evening, with that extraordinary facul- 
ty of dissimilation which the moat 
candid and sincere of women are en- 
dowed with on occasion. Outraged 
pride, stronger even than love, over- 
masters pain and stlffles its expres- 
sion. 

Margaret kept up bravely as long as 
she was with the others. At length 
the longed-for release came. She 
pleaded fatigue and escaped to the 
peace and quietness of her own roouL 
For hours she wrestled with her grief, 
shedding the bitterest tears that can 
fall to the lot of anyone to shed, the 
tears of the disillusioned lover who 
must still live though belief In the 
Beloved has departed. The grey light 
of early morning was creeping in 
through the chinks of the shutters 
when at length, thoroughly worn out, 
she fell Into a troubled sleep. 

When Margaret awoke she had a 
strange numb feeling in her heart, she 
felt she could never be the same again. 
All the buoyancy and brightness had 
been crushed out of her life. She had 
hitherto lived In and for another, that 
other had failed her. Henceforth she 
could no longer live but merely exist 

A few days after her arrival home 
Margaret got a letter from Denis writ- 
ten from New York. He gave a lame 
explanation of his conduct and apolo- 
gized for It shamefacedly. He declared 
that he could no longer stand the 
"deadly dullness of the life at home; 
no pleasure, no variety, nothing but 
one dreary round, one day the same as 
another, and no improvement to look 
forward to; nothing but poverty and 
monotony for the rest of his days. 

"So I Just cut and ran," he said. "I 
never want to see the place again or 
the people in it except yourself. I want 
you as much as ever. I hope you will 
come out to me when I get on and 
make my way a bit. Truth to tell I 
was afraid to face saying good-bye to 
you so I cleared off the week before 
you were expected home. I know you 
have got some notions into your head 
about it not being right for people to 
emigrate If they can help it You said 
something In one of your letters about 
It being 'treason to the motherland/ 
but I think that Is a nonsensical notion 
and I hope you will get to see things 
as I do and come out to me as soon as 

Digitized by V^OOQIC 



10 



THE GAEL^ 



]anxsaxjp 1903. 



' I am able to send for you, and leave 
' the old dull life of drudgery forever 
^ behind. Till then believe that I am 
always Your devoted, 

•DENIS." 
Margaret tore the letter up into 
shreds and never answered it She 
' would have liked to have torn the 
' writer out of her heart, but she could 
not do so, try as she might. She de- 
voted herself with feverish energy dur- 
' lug hei* holidays to her missionary 
work as an apostle of Irish Ireland. 
She worked tirelessly and Incessantly 
to spread the light amongst those who 
dwelt in darkness, and this town-land 
was in inky darkness. 
The result of her labors was that a 
' rather spasmodic little branch of the 
Gaelic League was started, and that a 
preliminary meeting to discuss the 
formation of a co-operative industry 
was held. A village library and read- 
ing room were also mooted, and a com- 
mittee formed to give prizes for the 
best-kept cottage garden and home- 
stead in the neighborhood. The influ- 
ence of the girl gradually began to 
make Itself felt Some, including her 
own relatives, remained impervious to 
argument and entreaty, but others took 
kindly to the new Gaelic doctrines. 
Among her disciples was Edward 
Kiernan, the local national school 
teacher, who humbly worshipped her. 
He was a fine type of young Irishman, 
and would have beeu a fitting mate for 
Margaret if she had met him in time. 
It was now too late. She could not 
love and unlove at will. 

Margaret's two firm friends, Father 
James and Dr. Dan, saw plainly how 
matters stood, and their hearts grew 
sore and wrathful as they noticed the 
girl growing thinner and whiter every 
day. 

One day Father James met Margaret 
taking a solitary walk. He stopped her 
and said bluntly without any pre- 
amble: "Child, he is not worth a train^ 
in\ Why do you trouble your head 
about him? Why do you vex your 
heart over a good for nothing fellow 
who isn't fit to black your boots?" 
Margaret's wan face blushed. 
"Don't say anything against him, 
please. Father James," she said im- 
ploringly. "I would rather hear my- 
self abused than hear a word against 
him. We women are made that way. 
Yes, I know it is very foolish, but we 
can't help ourselves. Once we care we 
have to keep on caring to the end, no 
matter what happens." 
"God help you, girl, If that's the way 



with you," the old priest said gruflly, 
hurrying so that she would not see 
that he was moved. When ue went 
home he sat down at once to write a 
letter to Denis O'Daly. 

"Margaret O'Kelly is here," he 
wrote. "If you have a grain of sense 
in your head, which I very much 
doubt, and if you are not utterly good 
for nothing— which I very much fear 
you are— you will take your passage 
home as soon as you get this letter, 
and ask the girl to overlook your con- 
duct, which to my mind, is inexcus- 
able, and to marry you. She is far too 
good for you. I don't at all like the 
idea of her throwing herself away on 
you. If she took my advice she would 
not do so. However, if she does care 
for you all that I can say is that you 
should be thankful for the good for- 
tune which has been sent to such an 
undeserving fellow, the love of a good 
noble-hearted woman, and do your 
best to repay it by devoting the rest 
of your life to her. Needless to say 
she does not know I am writing to 
you." 

Father James dashed this letter off 
without pausing to refiect, and with- 
out reading it closed, addressed and 
posted it. Then he sallied off to pay 
a visit to his old friend Dr. Dan. 

"I want your professional opinion of 
Margaret O'Kelly. I am afraid she 
does not look very robust lately," he 
remarked in his usual brusque man- 
ner. Dr. Dan replied with equal brev- 
ity. "She is fretting herself into the 
next world." 

Father James gave vent to an ex- 
clamation of consternation, while Dr. 
Dan blew his nose violently and look- 
ed a degree gruffer than usual. After 
a moment Father James asked: 
••What's to be done?" 

"I can't prescribe for her. The only 
remedy would be for that worthless, 
backboneless scamp, Denis O'Daly, to 
return home." 

"I have sent for him," announced 
Father James quietly. 

"Hum," commented the doctor, "1 
suppose it was the best thing to do 
under the circumstances, but I do wish 
she could put him out of her head and 
start life afresh. She is infinitely his 
superior. Margaret O'Kelly was al- 
ways a girl above the average. There 
isn't another girl in the parish like 
her. It's most unlucky that she should 
have leaned on such a broken reed as 
Denis has proved, instead of turning 
to some one like Edward Kiernan, as 
fine a natured young fellow as ever 
stepped." 

"T don't pretend to understand any- 
thing about these matters," the priest 



declared, "but it has always seemed to 
me one of the most inexplicable things 
in human nature that the best women 
often give the most enduring devotloa 
to the most good for nothing men. To 
me it is unaccounUble, but perhaps 
you can account for it" 

But Dr. Dan declared himself equal- 
ly at a loss to account for the unae- 
coun table. 

"One feels angry when people be- 
have so irrationally, but one is sorry 
for them all the same," he said. "I 
am truly sorry for poor Margaret" 

"Poor Margaret indeed! As tlmo 
went by her face grew whiter, her look 
more listless, her heart heavier. She 
found the burden of her life greater 
than she could bear, and rejoiced with 
a strange unhappy satisfaction to feel 
that the burden was slipping from her. 

After an interval Denis replied to 
Father James' letter. His answer was 
a lengthy one. He took pages upon 
pages in which to explain and excuse 
himself. But the upshot of his ex- 
planations was that he could not face 
the dull life of a country village In Ire- 
land. If Margaret came out to him hs 
would be very glad, but he could not 
come home." 

Father James was never so indig- 
nant in his life. "That is the first 
time I ever interfered in a matter of 
the kind and it will be the last time 
I will do so," he declared to Dr. Dan. 
"In future I will confine myself to 
minding my own avocation in life. I 
can do no good, only harm by going 
outside my own sphere of action. Bui 
I am sorrier than ever for the girL 
Heaven help her." 

Margaret knowing nothing of the 
negotiations which had been conducted 
on her behalf had made up her mind 
that there was no chance of matters 
ever righting themselves. She had al- 
most ceased to wish that they might 
come right, since she had realised what 
Denis was made of. And yet — mystery 
of feminine human nature — the love of 
her heart survived the disillusionment 
of her mind. 

She returned to her work in the 
school in i3ublin at the end of her 
holidays, but only for a while. Dr. 
Dan was right. She fretted herself in- 
to the next world. 

Six months later Father James 
cabled to Denis O'Paly in New York: 
"If you want to see Margaret alivs 
come at once." 

A few weeks afterward a quiet 
funeral wound its way to the village 
churchyard. There were white flow- 
ers on the coffin and many men and 
women followed weeping and lament- 
ing. The schoolmaster was among the 
crowd but did not join in the noisy 
demonstrations of sorrow. His feeling 
was too deep for words. Father James 
and Dr. Dan walked home together in 
silence. On their way they met a 
young man walking hastily, sobbing 
convulsively and unrestrainedly,' and 
seeming half mau with grief. 

"You are too late," the priest told 
him gravely. "She has gone to a land 
where at length she is happy and 
where only the highest ideals can be 
realized." 



Digitized by 



Google 



Januaiy, 1903* 



THE GAEU 



U 



Irish History in 

American Schools* 





^HERE is a growing 
demand for books 
(In English) relating to 
Irish history and litera- 
ture. The study of Irish 
history is being intro- 
duced into many Ameri- 
can parochial schools, and in conse- 
quence, a new interest in Irish literary 
matters has become apparent and is 
being felt 

When a demand arose for books on 
Irish history which could be placed in 
the hands of Irish-American school 
children, there were few to select from, 
but after considerable research it was 
found that the series of books written 
by Dr. P. W. Joyce came nearer to fill- 
ing the requirements than any other 
works, and they were eventually ap- 
proved and are now in general use in 
all American schools where Irish his- 
tory is taught 

Dr. P. W. Joyce, the eminent Irish 
scholar and historian, is a prominent 
figure in Irish literature. His contri- 
butions to Irish history and literature 
are many. Among his best known 
works are "A Short History of Ireland 
from the Earliest Times to 1608"; "A 
Concise History of Ireland, from the 
Earliest Times to 1837"; "The Origin 
and History of Irish Names of 
Places"; "Old Celtic Romances"; "An- 
cient Irish Music," and his especially 
popular and latest books, "Child's His- 
tory of Ireland" and "A Reading Book 
In Irish History ," etc. 

It Is Interesting to note that Dr. 
Joyce's "Child's History of Ireland" 
was adopted not long since as a sup- 
plementary reading in the public 
schools of the city of Chicago. There 
eeems to be quite a tendency In schools 
throughout the country to recognize 
the subject of Irish history In the 
schools. 

"A Reading Book in Irish History" 
contains a mixture of Irish history, 
biography and romance. A knowledge 
of the history of the country is con- 
veyed partly in special historical 
sketches, partly In notes under the Il- 
lustrations, and partly through the bi- 
ography of important personages, who 



flourished at various periods, from St 
Bridget down to the great Earl of Kil- 
dare. 

The following extracts showing the 
manner in which Irish music and 
musicians were appreciated by our an- 
cestors, are taken from that work: 

ANCIENT IRISH MUSIC. 

From the most remote times the 
Irish took great pleasure in music, they 
studied and cultivated It so success- 
fully that they became celebrated 
everywhere for their musical skill. 
Irish teachers of this art were thought 
80 highly of that from about the sev- 
enth to the eleventh century, or later, 
they were employed In colleges and 
schools In Great Britain and on the 
Continent, like Irish professors of 
other branches of learning (see p. 47). 
Many of the early missionaries took 
great delight In playing on the harp, 
so that some brought a small harp 
with them on their journeys through 
the country, which no doubt lightened 
many a weary hour during the time of 
hard missionary work. In our oldest 
manuscript books, music Is continually 
mentioned; and musicians are spoken 
of with respect and admiration. 




p. W. JOYCB. LL. D. 



The two chief instruments used in 
Ireland were the harp and the bagpipe. 
The harp was the favorite with the 
higher classes, many of whom played 
it as an accomplishment, as people now 
play the piano. The professional Irish 
harpers were more skilful, and could 
plair better than those of any other 
country; so that for hundreds of years 
it was the custom for the musicians of 
Great Britain to visit Ireland in order 
to finish their musical education,, a 
custom which continued down to about 
a century and a half ago. 

The bagpipe was very generally used 
among the lower classes of people. The 
form In use was what we now call the 
Highland or Scotch pipes — slung from 
the shoulder, the bag inflated by the 
mouth. But this form of pipes took its 
rise in Ireland, and it was brought to 
Scotland in early ages by those Irish 
colonists already spoken of (page' 5). 
There Is another and a better kind of 
bagpipes, now common in Ireland, 
resting on the lap when in use, and 
having the bag inflated by a bellows, 
but this Is a late Invention. 

The Irish musicians had various 
"styles," three of which are frequently 
mentioned In tales and other ancient 
Irish writings; of these many speci- 
mens have come down to the present 
day. The style they called "mlrth- 
muslc" consisted of lively airs, which 
excited to merriment and laughter. 
These are represented by our present 
dance tunes, such as jigs, reels, horn- 
pipes, and other such quick, spirited 
pieces which are known so well In 
every part of Ireland. 

The "sorrow-music** was slow and 
sad, and was always sung on the occa- 
sion of a death. We have many airs 
belonging to this style which are now 
commonly called Keens, i. e., laments, 
or dirges. The "sleep-music" was In- 
tended to produce sleep, and the tunes 
belonging to this style were plaintive 
and soothing. Such airs are now 
known as lullabies, or nurse tunes, or 
cradle songs, of which numerous ex- 
amples are preserved in collections of 
Irish music. They were often sung to 
put children to^<^ep. Though there 
Digitized byV^OOQlC 



12 



THE GAEU 



January, I903* 



are, as has been said, many tunes be- 
longing to these three classes, they 
form only a small part of the great 
body of Irish music. 

Music entered into many of the daily 
occupations of the people. There were 
special spinning-wheel songs, which 
the women sang, with words, in chorus 
or in dialogue, when employed in spin- 
ning. At milking time the girls were 
in the habit of chanting a particular 
sort of air, in a low gentle voice. These 
milking songs were slow and plaintive, 
something like the nurse tunes, and 
had the effect of soothing the cows and 
making them submit more gently to 
be milked. This practice was common 
down to fifty or sixty years ag«, and 
many people now living can remember 
•seeing cows grow restless when the 
song was interrupted, and become 
again quiet and placid when it was re- 
sumed. When plowmen were at their 
work tuey whistled a sweet, slow and 
sad strain, which had as powerful an 
effect in soothing the horses at their 
hard work as the milking songs had 
on the cows, and these also were quite 
usual till about half a century ago. 

Special airs and songs were used 
during workmg time by smiths, by 
weavers, and by boatmen. There were 
besides hymn tunes, and young people 
had simple airs for all sorts of games 
and sports. In most cases words suit- 
able to the several occasions were sung 
with lullabies, laments and occupation 
tunes. The poem at page 83, (Deirdre's 
Lament for the Sons of Usna) may be 
taken as a specimen of a lament. Ex- 
amples of all the preceeding classes of 
melodies will be found in the collec- 
tions of Irish airs by Bunting, Petrle 
and Joyce. 

The Irish had numerous war marches 
which the pipers played at the head 
of the clansmen when marching to bat- 
tle, and which inspired them with 
courage and dash for the fight. This 
custom is still kept up by ihe Scotch, 
and many fine battle-tunes are printed 
in Irish and Scotch collections of na- 
tional music 

From the preceeding statement we 
may see how universal was the love 
of music in former days among the 
people of Ireland. Though Irish airs, 
compared with the musical pieces com- 
posed in our time, are generally short 
and simple, they are constructed with 
such skill, that in regard to most of 
them it may be truly said, no com- 
poser of the present day can produce 
airs of a similar kind to equal them. 

There are half a dozen original col- 



lections of Irish music, containing in 
all between 1,000 and 2,000 airs; other 
collections are mostly copied from 
these. But numerous airs are still 
sung and played among the people all 
through Ireland, which have never 
been written down, and many have 
been written down which have never 
been printed. Thomas Moore compos- 
ed his beautiful songs to old Irish airs, 
and his whole collection of songs and 
airs— well known as "Moore's Melo- 
dies"— is now published in one small 
cheap volume. 

Of the entire body of Irish airs that 
are preserved we know the authors of 
not more than about one-tenth, and 
these were composed within the last 
200 years. Most of the remaining nine- 
tenths have come down from old 
times. No one now can tell who 
composed the popular airs known as 
"The Coolin," 'Savourneen Dheelish," 
"Shule Aroon," "Molly Asthore," 
"Garryowen," 'The Boyne Water," 
"Patrick's Day," "Langolee," "The 
Blackbird," or "The Girl I Left Be- 
hind Me," and so of many other well- 
known and lovely airs. 

The national music of Ireland and 
that of Scotland are very like each oth- 
er, and many airs afe common to both 
countries, but this is only what might 
be expected, as we know that the Irish 
and the Highland Scotcn were origin- 
ally one people. 

(From Joyce's "Reader in Irish His- 
tory," price 50 cents. By special per- 
mission of Longmans, Green & Co., 
Publishers.) 



"IT 



f RISH Reading Lessons" is the title 
a series of neatly printed 
books compiled by Miss Norma 
Borthwick, one of the most enthusias- 
tic Gaelic workers in Dublin. 

Parts I., II. and II. of the series have 
been issued by the Irish Book Co., 
Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin, and are 
sold for nlnepence for the three. 

Miss Borthwick has attempted to 
provide an easy method of learning 
Irish for three classes of learners — 
Irish-speaking children, adult Irish 
speakers who wish to read Irish, and 
English speakers of all ages who wish 
to learn Irish. 

Miss Borthwick has based the ar- 
rangement of the lessons on her own 
knowledge of the difficulties confront- 
ing the student who wants to read 
Irish. She has submitted the lessons 
to the Rev. Peter G'Leary, P. P., and 
that eminent Irish scholar and writer 
has expressed his full approval of 
them. The books are copiously and 
strikingly illustrated by Mr. Jack B. 
Yeats. 



DENVIR^S 

Monthly Irish Library 

Ai Illustrated Pablioatioa oa Origiaal 

and Striking Lines. 
Irish History, Pobtry, Biography, 

AND LiTBRATURK. 

Bach Number consists of a complete 
Booklet by a popular writer 

Articles- Essays- Reviews-Sketches 

GAELIC PAQB 
BY eMINENT IRISH SCHOLARS, Ete, 



TAe folUwing are the * * Books of the Month " 
in the Numbers for igo2 : 

Jan. - ** Thomaa Dayfa.** By W. P. Ryao. 
Feb. . ** Hugh O'NeUl. the Oreit Ulster CbletUln.** 
ICar. - **IrelJUMl*8 Appeal to America." Hlch*10aTltt 
April- '* Irish Fairy i^Tt* nds and Mythical Stortea." 
May -** John Boyle O'Reilly.*' Hy Wm. JameaRyaa. 
June - ** John If itche.l.*' By John Bannon. 
Joly . '* A rt McMorrousrh." By Daniel C Yilly. 
Aoff. - " Owen Roe O'NellL" By John DenTÍr. 
Sept. • ** Robert Emmet.*' By John Hand. 
Oct. • * Daiiiel O'ConneU.*' By Slieve Donard. 
Not. - ** Rescue of Kelly and Deasy.** By I. R B. 
Dea • ** Dr. John O'Donovan." By Thoa. FlannerT- 

Price, 5c. each, or 50c. per dozen. 



Address : THE GAEL, 140 Nassau St, 
NEW YORK. 

Relic of Archbishop Plunkett 

ASTRABANE man writes ua aa 
follows: Seeing In your "Na- 
tional Calendar" of this week 
an account of the "trial/' and death of 
Archbishop Plunkett I take the liberty 
of drawing your attention to the fact 
that the head of the great martyr is 
preserved in the Dominican Convent 
in Drogheda. I had the privilege of 
seeing the interesting relic about eight 
months ago, and it is certainly a won- 
drous sight 

The head, which is in a glass case, 
is well preserved, and has suffered lit- 
tle from the ravages of time, and but 
for the brown color I might say is life 
like, it is certainly more like the liv- 
ing head than those weird wax features 
which abound in our wax works. 

If the Archbishop succumbed to his 
enemies in life he certainly triumphed 
over them in death, for nowhere do 
we find even a trace of their resting 
place, and their names are almost for- 
gotten, yet in this beautiful convent 
in Drogheda, after the lapse of 221 
years, his head is still jq be seen re- 
minding us that although God may 
allow the enemies of his friends to 
conquer in this life yet he will raise 
up to their memory monuments which 
will endure for ever. The good nuns 
of the convent are willing at any time 
to allow visitors to inspect this relic. 

Digitized by VJOOQ IC 



January^ I903* 



THE GAEU 



13 



The Evolution of the Stage Irishman* 



By W. ]. Lawrence^ Belfast* 



ALTHOUGH several 
crude attempts had 
been made as early 
as the days of Dek- 
ker and Ben Jonson 
to create laughter 
at the expense of 
ithe wild Irish. 
' Paddy's prominence 
on the stage as a 
persona grata to the 
dramatist dates no 
farther back than 
the year 1665, when 
Sir Robert How- 
ard's play, "The 
Committee," first 
saw the light. . 

When we take in- 
to consideration the 
a b i d i ng influence 
the character of 
Teague in this piece 
had upon subsequent delineators of 
Milesian idiosyncrasy, it is interesting 
to note that the honest, simple-minded 
fellow was a stuJy from the life. 

When we take into consideration the 
abiding influence the character of 
Teague in this piece had upon subse- 
quent delineators of Milesian idiosyn- 
crasy, it is interesting to note that the 
honest, simple-minded fellow was a 
fitudy from the life. 

In the Duke of Norfolk's "Anecdotes 
of the Howard Family/' we learn that 
"when Sir Robert was in Ireland his 
son was imprisoned here by the Par- 
liament for some offence committed 
against them. As soon as Sir Robert 
heard of it he sent one of his domes- 
tics (an Irishman) to England with 
despatches to his friends, in order to 
procure the enlargement of his son. 
He waited with great impatience for 
the return of this messenger, and when 
he at length appeared with the agree- 
able news that his son was at liberty, 
Sir Robert, finding that he had then 
been several days in Dublin, asked him 
the reason of his not coming to him 
before. The honest Hibernian an- 
swered him with great exulUtlon that 
he had been all the time spreading the 
news, and getting drunk for Joy among 



his friends. He, in fact, executed his 
business with uncommon fidelity and 
despatch; but the extraordinary effect 
which the happy issue of his embassy 
had on poor Paddy was too great to 
suffer him to think with any degree of 
prudence of anything else. 

The excess of his joy was such that 
he forgot the impatience and anxiety 
of a tender parent, and until he gave 
his own delight sufficient vent among 
all his intimates, he never thought of 
imparting the news where it was most 
wanted and desired. From this, Sir 
Robert took the first hint of that odd 
composition of fidelity and blunders 
which he has so humorously worked 
up In the character of Teague." 

So much vitality was there in the 
characterization that the humors of 
Teague — admirably rendered by a long 
line of clever players from Lacy, Est- 
court and Tony Aston, to Macklin, Joe 
Miller and Jack Johnstone— preserved 
the comedy on the acting list at the 
patent theatres down to the end of the 
eighteenth century. Even the germ of 
the play expanded Into new life 
through being transplanted by Kni^t, 
the actor (In 1797), into a farce called 
"The Honest Thieves," in which the 




MR. JACK JOHNSTONS. 

FiomaiiEagravlnff by Marty a in Hib«mltii 
Magazine. 



good-humored, blundering Celt became 
the moving spirit. 

Passing over Thomas Shadwell's 
malignant portraiture of the Irish 
priesthood In his two political plays, 
"The Lancashire Witches" and "The 
Amorous Bigot," as aspersions which 
played their part in sowing the seeds 
of dissension between the sister coun- 
tries, we find ourselves landed, oddly 
enough, at Bartholomew Fair, where, 
at Saffry's booth, In the year 1682, was 
enacted an incomparable entertain- 
ment called "The Royal Voyage; or 
the Irish Expedltlbn," in which the 
momentous struggle between England 
and the last of the Stuarts had vigor- 
ous if not somewhat fiippant treat- 
ment. The play is full of "alarms and 
excursions," and much fun is made of 
the cowardice and indifferent soldier- 
ing of several suppositious Milesians. 

Occasionally we note a feeble striv- 
ing after local color, as in the scene of 
the Irish camp, wherein a funeral is 
represented with "tapers, crones and 
dirges and two fat friars singing and 
praying for his soul." Round the grave 
gather the friends of the departed one» 
tearing their hair, throwing up dirt, 
and indulging in a lyrical lament after 
the following manner: 
"Ah, Brother Teague, why didst thou 

go? 
Whililla, lilla, lilla, lilla, lilla. liUa, 

loo! 
And leave thy friends in grief and woe, 
Aboo, aboo, aboo, aboo, aboo, aboo, 

aboo! 
Hadst thou not store of household 

stuff? 
Potatoes and usquebagh enough, 
Aboo, aboo, aboo, aboo, aboo, aboo, 

aboo!" 
So little respect did the author of 
this production pay to the Unity 
of Place, that the ghost of Aris- 
totle must have haunted him forever 
after. In truth, "The Royal Voyage" 
is perplexingly panoramic in construc- 
tion, the scene shifting rapidly from 
Ennlskillen to Londonderry, and 
thence to Dundalk, Newry, Belfast, 
Carrickfergus and Bangor Bay. 



14 



THE GAEU 



January^ 1903* 




MR. O'REILLY AS «'FATHER LUKE." 

Departing willingly from such an at- 
mosphere, we come to Farquliar's 
comedy of "The Twin Rivals." which, 
as presented at Drury LAne in 1703, 
refreshingly reproduces our old friend 
Teague. Although kept off the scene 
until the third act, the droll takes a by 
no means Inconspicuous part in the ac- 
tion, and proves on acquaintance to be 
m very humorous specimen of the lower 
class Milesian. Bubbling over with 
mother wit, he is asked how he intends 
to live at a Juncture when his master 
has Just experienced a rude reversal of 
fortune. •'By eating, dear Joy," he re- 
plies, "fen I can get it, and by sleeping 
fen I can get none— tish the fashion of 
Ireland." 

When Richard Brlnsley Sheridan's 
father was a boy at school, somewhere 
about the year 1740, he wrote a farce 
called "Captain O'Blunder; or The 
Brave Irishman," basing his plot on 
the "Pourceaugnac" of Moliere. As 
most pieces in which poor Paddy had 
previously figured had held him up to 
view in somewhat unfavorable light, 
small wonder that even an unpreten- 
tious trifle presenting a good-humored 
treatment of a blundering, affected na- 
tive met with a hearty reception from 
an alert Dublin audience. Throughout 
the illimitable domains of France 
nothing funnier Is to be found than 
the scene In which the Captain, chaf- 



ing under the indignity thrust upon 
him by the miserable little French- 
man, his rival In love, who has called 
him "praty-face," makes the quaking 
whipper-snapper consume a fine, raw 
specimen of the esculent tuber. 

Isaac Sparks, the original Captain 
O'Blunder, was so popular in the char- 
acter in Dublin tuat public-house signs 
of him as the brave Irishman abound- 
ed. One day, in coming out of a tav- 
ern he passed under one of these and a 
chair-man standing by, looking first at 
the original with great admiration and 




MR. 



ISAAC SPARKS AS FOIOARD IN 
••THE BEAUX STRATAGEM." 



then at the copy, vociferated: "Oh, 
there you are, above and below!" We 
present a portrait of Sparks In another 
of his Irish characters, Folgard, in 
"The Beaux Stratagem." 

Sheridan's farce is otherwise note- 
worthy from the fact that Its central 
figure formed the prototype of Sir Cal- 
lagan O'Brallaghan in Macklln's fa- 
mous comedy, "Love k la Mode." The 
knight was originally acted by Moody, 
who is said to have been the first play- 
er to bring the stage Irishman Into re- 
pute, and to render the character one 
of a distinct line, whereby a performer 
might acquire position and moderate 
fame. But, as Lady Morgan once re- 



marked, before the days of Cumber- 
land's Major O'Flagherty, English au- 
diences were satisfied with poor act- 
ing in Irish parts, "for they had not 
yet got beyond the conventional delin- 
eation of Teague and Father Folgard. 
types of Irlsn savagery and Catholic 
Jesuitism." 

When Hugh Kelly, that redoubUble 
champion of sentimental Insipidities, 
had his "School for Wives" produced 
at Drury Lane in 1774, it was found 
that the man who first drew breath at 
Killarney had sketched an excellent 
Irishman in the muddle-headed, whole- 
souled Connolly, without betraying 
partiality on the one hand, or descend- 
ing into caricature on the other. It ii 
matter of common theatrical history 
that when Sheridan's maiden effort, 
•The Rivals," was produced at Covent 
Garden in January 1775, the play was 
well-nigh damned through the incom- 
petence of Lee, who was cast for Sir 
Lucius. When the role was given to 
Clinch, the atmosphere cleared at once, 
the comedy gaining life, and the actor 
reputation by the change. 

Early In March. 1803, a play was pro- ^ 
duced at Covent Garden which, to 
adopt the words of Boaden, "seized up- 
on general admiration as a charm, and 
has held it as by a patent" The piece 
was none other than Colman's comedy 
of "John Bull," in which handsome 
Jack Johnstone represented Dennis 
]ffiilgruddery, and sang a whimsical 
epilogue to an old Irish air. Although 




RlDigkiz^byr* 



Grishma^ 



January, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



J5 



only a poor devil of an innkeeper with 
a rascally wife, Biennis considers him- 
self "a Jintleman" because he was 
"brought up to the church"; which, 
being interpreted, means that as a lad 
he **opened the pew doors in Belfast," 
and lost his situation for snoring so 
loud during sermon time as to awaken 
the rest of the congregation! 

Down to the close of the eighteenth 
century the stage has seen a vast 
amount of Irish characterization but 
practically no Irish drama. Of early 
plays with a distlnctlyely Irish atmos- 
phere one can only recall Shirley's 
*'Saint Patrick for Ireland" (1640) and 
Macklin's clever satire, "The True- 
Born Irishman; or Irish Fine Lady" 
(1760). Hence it was that the stage 
Irishman was shown for the most part 
tn uncongenial surroundings, a bright 
gem in indifferent setting. So much 
of caricature often crept into the por- 
traiture that there were characters like 
the Captain O'Cutter of Colman's 
"Jealous Wife" (1761), that not even 
the most complacent of Dublin audi- 
ences would tolerate. 

To the building up of Irish drama 
proper many circumstances contrib- 
uted. With the taking off of Jack 
Johnstone, adequate exponents of the 
chivalrous-minded Irish gentleman be- 
came rare birds on earth, and very like 
black swans. There were twenty 
Teagues for one Sir Lucius. Irish 
chivalry could no longer be embodied, 
and the dramatist had perforce to fall 
back upon the unfailing supply of Irish* 
humor. Admitted that high tragic 
flic^ts were eventually reached, as in 
the "Brian Borolhme" of Sheridan 
Knowles and "The Warden of Galway" 
of the Rev. Edward Groves, still the 
record of Irish drama in the nineteenth 
century is purely a record of melo- 
drama and farce. Its trend in the be- 
ginning was largely influenced by the 
Union, which by dint Of making ab- 
senteeism fashionable, and of creating 
discord between landlord and tenant, 
gave to the Irish playwright a plenti- 
ful supply of incident and characteri- 
sation. 

Irish drama proper, however, may be 
said to have owed its origin and de- 
rived its inspiration from the vogue of 
the novels of Lady Morgan, Maria 
Edgeworth, Gerald Griffin, Lever and 
Samuel Lover. So early as 1831 Grif- 
fin's profoundly tragic tale, "The Col- 
legians" (eventually to be the source 
-of "The Colleen Bawn"), had been 
dramatized for performance at Chap- 
man's City Theatre, in Milton Street, 



Crlpplegate. Moreover, the chicanery 
of middlemen and laxity of absentee 
landlords had formed the theme of 
"The Irishman's Home," as produced 
at the Westminster Theatre: in TothlU 
Street, London, in May, 1833. Apart 
from these tentative efforts, however, 
the immediate sponsors of Irish melo- 
drama were assuredly Buckstone, Bou- 
clcault and Edmund Falconer. 
Transferred with the red corpuscles 



of the people, the conventional stage 
Irishman gained new life at the hands 
of Dion Boucicault, that master of his 
craft, who endowed the type with im- 
agination as well as wit, pathos as well 
as humor. If no one has taken his 
place, or shown earnest of being able 
to carry on his work, we must console 
ourselves philosophically with the re- 
flection that the century plant only 
blossoms once in a hundred years. 



Gaelic League Publications* 



THE Publication Committee of the 
Gaelic League in Ireland met on 
Monday, December 1st, Mr. J. 
H. Lloyd in the chair. Also present 
were Miss A. O'Farrelly, M.A.; Messrs. 
Seamus O'Kelly, B. A.; Eamonn 
O'Neill, B. A.; S. J. Barrett, and P. H. 
Pearse, B. A., B L. Mr. P. O'Daly, 
general secretary, was also in attend- 
ance. It was reported thai since the 
last meeting of the committee the fol- 
lowing new publications had been is- 
sued from the press: 

1. School edition of "Cormac Ua 
Conalll," edited with notes and vocab- 
ulary by the author, Father Dinneen. 

2. School edition of "Beatna Eoghain 
Ruaidh," edited with notes and vocab- 
ulary by Father Dinneen and J. J. 
O'Kelly. Both these works are on the 
Intermediate Programme, 1903, and 
the former is on the programme for 
the Gaelic League Teaching Diploma. 

8. "Dubhthaltach MacFlrblsigh," a 
biographical sketch, by Owen Naugh- 
ton, published with notes and vocabu- 
lary, at 2d. This work is also on the 
Diploma Programme. 

4. Part II. of "An Aithriseoir," or 
Irish Recitation Book, edited by Tadhg 
O'Donoghue and P. H. Pearse, B. A., 
B. L., and containing a number of 
pieces in prose and poetry suitable for 
recitation; price, one penny. 

6. "A Handbook of Irish Teaching," 
by P. T. MacGinley. This work was 
awarded flrst prize at last year's Olr- 
eachtas. It is based on the discoveries 
of M. Gouin, and contains a set of 
Gouin series and a vocabulary; price 
in paper. Is., in cloth, Is. 6d. 

6 and 7. "Pearla an Bhroilaigh 
Bhain" and "Seaghan Ua Duibhir an 
Ghleanna," being Nos. 4 and 5 of the 
Oireachtas Choir series of Irish songs, 
arranged in four parts by Robert 
Dwyer; price, 3d. each. 

8. "Lessons from Modem Language 



Movements," a new propagandist 
pamphlet in English, by W. P. O'Riain. 

9. Fr. O'Donovan's recent "O'Grow- 
ney Memorial Lecture," delivered In 
Dublin, under the auspices of the Dub* 
lin Colsde Ceanntair. 

It was reported that the following 
works now in the press would be is- 
sued Immediately: 

1. School Reading Charts, based on 
the committee's Irish Infant Primer. 
The charts, which measure 2 ft 6 in. 
by 1 ft 8 in., are bound in books of 
S6 pages, and will be published at 2s. 
€d. each. 

2. "An tAlllean," a child's picture 
book in colors, written by Tadhg 
O'Donoghue, and illustrated by George 
Fagan. The book contains, in addition 
to a colored cover, eight full-page col- 
ored pictures, and numerous black and 
white sketches. It will be on the mar- 
ket almost immediately, and will form 
a beautiful and useful gift book. The 
price will be Is. 

The following new works submitted 
to the committee were accepted for 
publication: "Duine le Dia," a short 
etory by Miss O'Farrelly; "Belrt 
Fhear," a collection of sketches in dia- 
logue by J. J. Doyle. 

It was decided to issue as a propa- 
gandist leaflet the Report on the 
Teaching of Irish in the John Street 
schools, Dublin, recently made by Miss 
Killeen and Mr. Pearse. It was agreed 
that the series of Bilingual Readers 
should be pushed on with all possible 
speed, and that a series of Geograph- 
ical Readers in Irish should be at once 
undertaken. The publication of a set 
of short plays suitable for acting by 
school children in Irish-speaking dis- 
tricts, was also discussed. 




16 



THE GAEU 

Castle Dcrmot^ Co* Kildarc* 



January^ J903» 





vHE ancient Gaelic name of 
the locality in which the 
[( noble ruins pictured above 
are situated was Disert Diar- 
made, which means in Eng- 
lish the Secluded, or Sequestered Place 
of Diarmid or Dermot. 

The word disert was borrowed orig- 
inally from the Latin "desertum," 
which means a desert or wilderness. 
The Gaelic form means a lonely her- 
mitage. 

Castle Dermot Monastery was found- 
ed about the year 500 by Diarmid, a 
pious grandson of K}ng Aedh Roin of 
Ulidia. During the long was with the 
Danes and Anglo-Normans the mon- 
astery was repeatedly plundered and 
burned, only to be again and again re- 
stored. Finally, in 1650, tlie sacrilig- 
ious forces then devastating the coun- 
try, prevailed and completed fhe de- 
struction of the famous monastery, 
leaving only a portion of the walls 
standing. 

Cattle Dermot Abbey is often men- 
tioned in the "Annals of the Four Mas- 
ters" and other annals handed down 
to ns from ancient times. The famous 



RUiNS OP CASTLB DBRMOT ABBEY. 

Cormac Mac Cullinnan, afterwards 
King of Munster and Archbishop of 
Oashel, was educated here. He was 
slain in 907 and buried within its 
walls. 

It was the chief residence of the 
OTooles, and on the English invasion 
was with otner territories of that sept 
given to Walter De Riddlesford, who 
here arected a castle and founded a 
priory for Crouched Friars, which with 
its possessions, was granted at the 
Dissolution to Sir Henry Harrington, 
Knt. 

In 1264 such was the power of the 
Geraldines that Richard De Rupella, 
Lord Justice of Ireland, Lord Theo- 
bold Boteler, and Lord John Cogan 
were taken prisoners by Maurice Fitz- 
gerald, and Fltzmaurice. 

In 1312, a Franciscan flriary was 
founded here by Thomas, Lord Ofialey. 

In 1316, John, eldest son of the Earl 
of Kildare, died at Lathrach Ui Bhrian 
and was buried here. Same year the 
Scots, under Robert and Edward Bruce 
destroyed the town, but were soon af- 
ter defeated by Lord Edmund Butler. 

In 1328 Thomas, second Earl of Kil- 



dare, died and was buried here withf 
his wife, daughter of De Burgh, E«arl 
of Ulster. 

In 1499, a parliament was held here^ 
and an act passed inflicting penalties 
on such of the nobles as rode without 
saddles. A mint was also established 
here for coining money. 

It was taken for Cromwell by Colo- 
nels Hewson and Reynolds in 1650, 
since which time its extensive eccles- 
siastical buildings have been in ruins. 

The first charter school in Ireland 
was opened here in 1734 for forty chil- 
dren. 

In May, 1798, the town was attacked 
by a party of Kildare and Wicklow In- 
surgents. They were badly armed and 
failed to capture it from Captain Mince 
and a detachment of the Sixth Regi- 
ment, who defended it 

In Rawson's "Statistical Survey of 
the County of Kildare," published in 
1807, we And an itemized account ot 
the rental of the Earl of Kildare's es- 
tates in the seventeenth century. "The 
manor of Castledermot set to William 
Holme and William Wright for A\ 
years, from May 1st, 1657. at £100-0-0 
the first year and £120-0-0 the remain- 
der, a fat ox, and forty couple of rab* 
bits." ; ^ 



January, J903, 



THE GAEU 



17 




An Irish Outíaw» 

By Katherme Tynan. 




\ N the old days when Dublin was 
a Norman city and fortified, it 
was perpetually harrassed by 
the Irish septs O'Byrne and 
O'Toole, who were always 
sweeping down from the 
mountains, seizing the cattle 
and crops of the Palesmen, and 
battering at Dublin gates till 
the comfortable merchantmen within 
^ere fairly distracted. The hills of 
Dublin and Wlcklow, with their nar- 
row glens and steep passes, their gor- 
ges and ravines, were no places in 
which to pursue a fleet and sure-footed 
enemy; one, too, who knew every cav- 
ern and hidinfiT-place of the hills, 
every morass to which to lead the 
pursuer. 

In 1798 these same hills serv<>d 
their outlsws. There was Holi. 
of course, who was practically 
impregnable against the redcoats; 
but Michael Dwyer, the rmtlaw. 
was a far finer and more heroic 
figure than Holt, the soldier of 
fortune, who, when the day came, 
made what terms he could and 
saved his life. 

Michael Dwyer was the son of 
A small farmer at Baltinglass, on 
the borders of Wicklow and Kil- 
dare. He was twenty-five or 
twenty-six when the United Irish 
Society began to be treasonable, 
and he was already, as they say, 
a hunted man. 

In the spring of that year of 
fate he married a neighbor's 
child, Mary Doyle, who was as 
ready as the "Nut-brown Mayde" 
to go to green-wood or anywhere 
else with a banished man. As a 
matter of fact, she shared his 
hunted life for six years, and at 
the end of that time went with 
him into exile. 

He fought through the Rebel- 
lion, and escaping without a 



wound, he retired at its close into the 
fastnesses of the Wicklow mountains, 
and from thence waged a guerilla war- 
fare on the Government men and loyal 
Inhabitants. 

Legend and story gathered thick 
upon his track. But he was not by any 
means lawless and bloody as it is the 
way of outlaws to be. He had been as 
a boy and young man excellently well- 
conducted, and, as a guerilla chief, he 
seems to have remained simple. God- 
fearing, gentle, and affectionate. 

Some attempt was made at the time 
to asociate him with acts of midnight 
robbery, but unsuccessfully. He waged 




MICHAEL DWYER, 
Reprodaoed From An Authentio Portrait. 



war daringly, and with great presence 
of mind, resource, tirelessness, and 
capacity for command. 

He and his men and Mary Dwyer 
lived in the caves of the mountains. 
These they had stocked with provis- 
ions, and lined against the cold with 
moss and herbage. Their principal re- 
treat of this kind, their home in fact, 
was in the Glen of Imaal, a purple 
mountain gorge where the thrushes 
sing all the day long. The entrance to 
the cave was hidden by a great sod, 
and here the outlaws rested and fed 
during the days, while at night they 
took to the mountains. 

Other hiding-places they had, 
aiKh as the hollowed out interior 
i^f a turf-stack, and these dotted 
here and there where they cou«d 
retire to them if too hotly pur- 
sued. 

Once Dwyer had entered a ho:j- 
pltable cabin for warmth and 
food, and was surprised there by 
thii Highlanders under Col. Mac- 
donald, while in the cabin asleep, 
ail hour or so before day. There 
was with Dwyer one McAlister, a 
deserter from the Antrim Militia. 
Dwyer was called upon to sur- 
render. "We came in here with- 
out these people's permission," 
he said, "will you let them pass 
■mb armed?" 

The answer was "Yes," for the 
Highlanders fought like true sol- 
ilers and humane men, and left 
the deviltries of that day 1o the 
yeomen and the Hessians. The 
peasants filed out one by one. As 
Mie last passed Dwyer slammed 
he c^bin door, and shouting: 
Now, I will fight till I die," pre- 
pared to stand a siege. There 
was a good deal of firing on both 
aides, and at last McAlister was 
wounded. "I'm done," he said to 
Michael Dwyer, "and the hou3a 



18 



THE GAEU 



Januarjf Í903* 



l8 on fire/' as it was. "Prop me up in 
the doorway," he said, "and open the 
door. They will all fire at me. Thun 
when the blunderbusses are empty let 
me see what a spring you*ll make." 

It happened as this heroic follower 
and comrade anticipated. Dwyer 
sprang over McAlister's riddled body 
Into the open. A little ice had formed 
on a pool by the door, and he slipped 
and fell on it, but was up in an la • 
itant A shot went through the collar 
of his shirt; he was almost naked as 
be had slept He was off like a hare, 
with the Highlanders in pursuit, and 
another corps of soldiers who had 
«ome up. He ran through the Glen of 
Imaal, forded the river, and in the 
winter night led the soldiers a weary 
dance, till at Slaney, which he crossed, 
the soldiers gave up the pursuit be- 
cause the river was in fiood. 

He ascribed his escape to the pursuit 
of a Highlander, who covered him^ 
perhaps that friend of his, Cameron, 
a sergeant of the Highlanders, who 
used to give him warning when the 
scent was keen. 

Another time he crept under a 
mountain waterfall, and sat in the 
spray of it while the redcoats rode by. 

A police-barrack was placed at the 
entrance of his glen, but that did not 
seem to affect Dwyer. Perhaps he held 
a small opinion of the police, or he 
would have served it as he did the 
barrack at Glenmalure, which he al- 
lewed to be built almost to the last 
stone, and then, laying a train of pow- 
der under it, blew it sky-his^h. 

An adventure of some of Dwyer's 
men is worth telling, though the chief 
was not with theuL In December, 1800. 
crossing a river near the Seven 
Churches, their arms got wet They 
had reached one of their hiding places, 
a hollow turf-stack, when a party of 
cavalry in search of them rode up. 
These passed at first, but returned and 
began demolishing the turf-stack. A 
man named Thomas, who was con- 
cealed there, fired at the yeomen, but 
without effect, as his powder was wet 
'It's the first time she failed me." he 
said; and then, with the others, made 
a rush for it They broke through the 
mounted men safely, and since there 
may be neighborliness between yeos 
and rebels, the only injury was to 
Thomas from a blow of the butt-end 
of the pistol of one Manby. a yeoman. 
But it was believed that Manby would 
have got put of ihomas's way if he 
could. However, an amateur of the 
sport, one Weekes, out duck-shooting 



Joined the pursuit, and shot Thomas 
in the thigh, and being down, he was 
despatched, and the head chopped from 
the mutilated body was spiked in the 
Flannel Hall, at RathdruuL 

Another man, Harman, who wan 
etarknaked and a giant in build, was 
pursued by one Manning, his equal in 
stature and strength, but the mounted 
man soon began to sink in the bog- 
water, while the rebel knew where 
footing was to be had. At length, 
(after a chase of three miles), Har- 
man, coming to a narow bridge, was 
confronted by Darby, a yeoman, who 
had the thought of riding round to cut 
off the rebel at this point, but Har* 
man sprang at him with his wet blun- 
derbuss in his hand, shouting, "Now, 
Darby, it's you or I for It" Darby 
swerved aside at this extraordinary ap- 
parition, and Hannan, passing him, 
got safely away. 

A little later the yeos at Rathdrum 
bad information that a house between 
Rathdrum and Hacketstown was to be 
robbed on a certain night Hoping 
that Dwyer or his men might be in 
the plot, the yeomanry surrounded the 
house in ambush, and one, Williams, 
a sure shot, was hidden within the 
house, with orders not to shoot unless 
in great danger; for they hoped, no 
doubt, to catch Dwyer or his men alive. 
The robbers came in due course, and 
one man made the entry of the house 
alone. Williams, who was a pretty 
good shot, and could hardly be re- 
strained from using his firearms, shot 
the man dead. His comrades got off 
scot free. On examination he proved 
to be no rebel, but one Mundy, of the 
Hacketstown Yeomanry, so to be im- 
partial his head flanked that of Dwy- 
er's man on the Hall in Rathdrum. 

An exciting adventure of Dwyer's 
was when he and his brother-in-law 
Byrne, intercepted a letter offering 
terms to Holt At this time they were 
forming part of an outpost of Holt's 
army. Dwyer himself carried the mes- 
sage to Holt, and taking him aside, out 
of earshot, but within sight of his 
army, said to him: "But that you are 
8 Protestant"— that is to say, of natur- 
ally alien blood — "I would shoot you 
dead; as it is. show your face no more 
among the people," Holt took him at 
his word, left his men, and wandered 
about, being for some time in great 
danger from both sides, as he had not 
concluded his treaty with the Govern- 
ment 

Dwyer was in Emmet's rebellion^ 
which, of course, failed. After that. 



abandoning hope, he surrendered to 
Captain Hume. After imprisonment in 
the Castle of Dublin and on Kiimain- 
ham he was transported for life. 

As one might expect from his char- 
acter, this redoubtable outlaw, who had 
intercepted and killed with his own 
band three tratitors of his following, 
made an exemplary colonist in the new 
land. His wife had followed him there; 
and later he was High Constable of 
Sydney for several years, and farmed 
a considerable slice of land. 

"He was, before his outlaw days. 
well-behaved and good-natured," says 
a contemporary record, "moral in bis 
conduct, civil and obliging to his 
acquaintances, and very true to bis 
friends. He could read and write. He 
went to school at Bushfield." 

And for his person, says an enemy, 
"Dwyer is an active, vigorous fellow, 
about five feet nine inches high, with 
something of a stoop about his should- 
ers. He has a ruddy complexion, with 
lively penetrating eyes, and said to be 
wonderfully patient of fatigue and 
fearless of every kind of danger." 

The career of Michael Dwyer fasdn* 
ated Mr. Parnell, who knew the topog- 
raphy of all his fights and adventures. 



Historic Buildings in Newry* 

MR. JOHN TOMAN, auctioneer, has 
Just disposed of two very vala- 
able properties in Newry, 
known as "The Abbey" and "Abbey 
Park." It was in the Abbey that the 
monks of past centuries resided. The 
ancient Abbey, however, was burned, 
and the present premises were built a 
couple of centuries ago. After some 
spirited bidding the premises were 
purchased by Messrs. Sheridan and 
Russell, solicitors, in trust for the 
Christian Brothers of Newry, for 
£1.425. 

Another very historic old building 
in Newry was also sold by Mr. Toman. 
It was Dromalane House and grounds» 
the property of Mr. Garland. Messrs. 
Carroll and O'Hagan, solicitors, were 
declared the purchasers, in trust for 
Mrs. Boden, of Newry, at £1,150. It 
was in this house that the famous Irish 
patriot, the late John Mitchell, breath- 
ed his last after returning from exile. 
In the same house the late John Mar- 
tin, M. P., expired a week after the 
death of John Mitchel.— 7%e Anglo^f^L 




Digitizeo 



January, Í903, 



THE GAEL. 



\9 




-^jt 




The Henebriates on the Run* 



f N THE November OAS7L we printed an account 
of the proceedings of the Oaellc Leaarue Con- 
vention at Philadelphia, which was Interrupt- 
cd by certain Western rowdies sent there for that 
Bpeclflc? purpose. 

The New York. Chicafi^) and Philadelphia men 
who have been identified with the Gaelic Move- 
ment In America since its first Inception, refused 
ÍO l>e a party to a fist fight on the fioor of the 
hull, iind, when threatened with bodily assault 
by thG thugs, adjourned, the meeting and wlth- 
ilrew rather than be a party, no matter how In- 
noct'nily. to any row that would bring disgrace 
un the Irish Mov^paent.' 

Tiu Jiccount of the proceedings which appeared 

In THE GAEL did not tell all the facts of the 

horrible affair and was written under a strong 

sen^e of wrong and outrage imposed on honest, 

garne&t men by a vicious and cowardly set of 

hoodlums, who undoubtedly had been 

selected and shipped on from the West 

for the sole purpose of either ruling the 

Convention or ruining lu 

Thanks to the good sense of the East- 
em delegates the Henebriates failed to 
accomplish their purpose and stand to- 
day exposed and utterly discredited. 

Since that account was published and 
the machinations of the Henebriate con- 
spirators laid bare to public scrutiny, 
a gtiaahing of teeth, and tearing of hair has taken place in San 
Francisco, accomjjíinled by a flow of vile, a-buslve blllngsgate 
in Father Torke's 'organ" that Is unprecedented In Journalism 
und unprintable in decent publications. 

Comment-ing on the vile language used by Father Yorke's 
paper. "The Irish World." of December 13. has this to say: 

"The attnck Dcoufjles over a page and a quarter of the char- 
acter-thieving itheet. It contains not one solitary fact— we said 
we would be satlsneil with a recital of even Indefinite facts of 
wrong -doing- on ihe part of these New York people— but not 
even these are furnished to sustain an attack that surpasses 
anything we have ever read In a public print in viclousness, 
lying malevolence and sheer brutality. 

• ••••••• 

•The only limit to this fanatical malice is that the writer has, 
perhaps, avoided the criminal libel law. displaying diabolical 
purpose and vlndlctlveness bounded only by the fear of the con- 
sequences of his viclousness, the way of all slanderers. By a 
curious coincidence, we received in the same mail a paper con- 
taining a lecture on calumny. It says: 'Because slander is the 
fruit of deliberate, criminal spite, jealousy and revenge. It has 
a character of diabolism. The calumniator Is not only a moral 
assassin, but he Is .the most accomplished type of the coward 
known to man.* 

'*A respected pastor of Chicago also comes In for his venom, 
because he would not be a party to. but exposed, a wretched 
trick. 'The Leader* writer has taken two months to explain 
that trick and he hasn't done it. In his wild fury he now has 
to admit the Chicago priest did not slgrn the document that he 
and his serfs claimed was signed by him." 

Mr. Richardson, proprietor of THE GAEti, and Rev. Father 
Carroll. P. P., of St. Thomas' Church. Chicago, are the chief 
objects of Father Yorke's abusive attack. 

Mr. Richardson alone had the courage to expose the combina- 



tion of Chicago and San Francisco forgers and fist fighters 
who endeavored to dominate and use the Gaelic League of 
America. 

Father Carroll refused to be a passive accessory to their 
crime, and boldly denounced the forgery of his name to their 
fake announcement. 

When Mr. Keating, President of the Ancient Order of Hiber- 
nians, was publicly atUcked and vilified by those unscrupulous 
men he said, resignedly. "I will leave them to God. He will 
not let them go unpunished. I will make no reply to their 
scandal and abuse." 

That is what they had calculated on. and because of it they 
became bold. It takes a brave man to stand up and denounco 
a vituperative clergyman for violating moral laws. 

In all denominations It will be found that ninety-nine out of 
every hundred clergymen— in fact, nine hundred and ninety- 
nine out of every thousand are God-fearing, good -living men 
who devote their lives, not to politics and lobbying, but to help- 
ing, cheering and comforting their fellow men. The exception, 
the one-ln-a-thousand. Is usually a mean, vicious, unscrupulous 
scalawag devoid of moral principle and lacking in Christian 
charity. 

But that description of a type Is taking us away from the sub 
ject. We will return to Father Yorke and his •'organ." 

In the issue of that delectable publication dated Nov. 22 ho 
devoles more than a page and a quarter to abusing and vilifying 
Mr. S. J. Richardson and his friends, interspersed with occa- 
sional attempts to exculpate Father Fielding from the mlserpble 
charge of forgery under which he groans, and to explain why 
he himself suppressed Father Carroll's Indignant DENIAL and 
repudiation of the forgery. 

To show his inconsistency. Father Yorke says: "As to Richard- 
son, he is of absolutely no consequence." This we cheerfully 
admit, but If Richardson Is of no earthly consequence, why did 
the Henebriates think it necessary to He about him and Issuo 
a lying "Announcement" in which they denounced him. and to 
which the whole outfit put their names, and also to which one 
of them FORGED the name of Rev. Father Carroll. 

If Mr. Richardson is of no consequence, why did Father Yorke 
devote a page and a quarter in one issue to abuse of him? Mr. 
Richardson seeks no prominence in the public eye. His namo 
does not appear in THE GAEL. He has no desire for publicity. 
He win accept no position In any organization. He Is one of 
very many who endeavor to do things humbly, quietly and un- 
known. 

Individuals of the Yorke type cannot comprehend any man 
doing anything for a cause without receiving payment or an 
equivalent of some sort. 

It has been remarked that people of highly artistic tempera- 
ment frequently have something unhealthy in their moral tone. 
If that Is true. Father Yorke Is a great artist in his own special 
line. 

The forgery of Father Carroll's name and the printing of the 
forgery In Father Yorke's paper together with the exposure of 
the Henebriate crowd who were Identified with the. crime h^s 
disturbed Father Yorke very much. The fact that he deliber- 
ately suppressed Father Carroll's emphatic denial has not tended 
to clear the atmosphere and leaves him in a very uncomfortab^^ 
position. He pretends to ignore the whole affair but the crimo 
will not down. Here is his miserable story of the shameful af- 
fair copied word by word from his paper: 

FATHER YORKE'S STORY OF THE FORGERY! 

-> 
"Father Fielding states and Father Carroll has not con- 
tradicted him that Father Carroll promited to sign the manifesto 
on the O'Growney funeral. 



20 



THE GAÉU 



January f Í903* 



••Not only did he promise to slpi, but he requested Father 
Fielding to make several copies of the document for the press, 
with the signature appended. Father Fielding did as he was 
Mked, and It was one of his mlmeograpned copies that we re- 
ceived. He returned the original to Father Carroll who promiaed 
to sign It and forward It to Dr. Henebry. 

"Immediately Father Fielding left for Ireland. NOT HAVING 
THE FEAR OF HIS ASSISTANT BEFORE HIS EYES, Father 
Carroll put the document Into an envelope and sent It to Colora- 
do unHfftied/' etc. 

There we ha^ve the shameful story of the forgery In all It» 
unscrupulousness. He PROMISED to sign (?) and when h« 
wouldn't Father Fielding signed It for him!!! 

Let us examine and analyze Father Yorke's story and com- 
ment as we proceed: "Father Fielding states, and Father Car- 
roll has not contradicted him, that Father Carroll promiaed to 
sign the manifesto on the O'Growney funeral." 

Father Yorke publishes a deliberate untruth right there. In 
the August GAEL he will find printed a copy of the letter sent 
to him by Father Carroll under date of June 24 in which Father 
Carroll said: 

"i waa astounded to see my name^ }>ecauae I did not aign the docu- 
ment, becauae I did not authorize any peraon to sign it for me, 
and becauae I do not approve of the method of attacking 8. J. Richard- 
son,'* etc. 

Does Father Yorke know of any more positive and circum- 
stantial denial than tha^, WHICH HE RECEIVED IN CALI- 
FORNIA AND REFUSED TO PRINT IN HIS ORGAN? Why 
did he refuse? 

We will proceed: Father Yorke says: "Not only did he promiae 
to sign, but he requested Father Fielding to make several copies 
of the document for the press with the signatures appended. 
FATHE7R FIELDING DID AS HE WAS ASKED (?) and it was 
one of those mimeographed copies which we received. He re- 
turned the original to Father CaVroll who PROMISED to sign 
It and forward It to Dr. Henebry." 

There is the pitiful story of the crime in all its shamelessness. 

The precious document purported to be a Gaelic League An- 
nouncement and was issued for the purpose of denouncing Mr. 
Richardson for assuming to make arrangements for the O'Grow- 
ney funeral without their permlf«sion. It was reproduced and 
printed in the August GAEL where our readers can examine It. 
According to Father Yorke (and he has not been contradicted). 
Father Fielding mimeographed the lying calumlnous document 
for the press and appended the signatures of others to it be- 
fore sending it out. Dr. Henebry was in Colorado. Father 
Yorke was m California. Father Carroll was probably in the 
next room, but what matter, Jim the Penman signed for all! 

Reading between the lines the Impression is apparently con- 
veyed that Father Fielding did not originate the idea of the 
forged document. Father Yorke (who seems to know all about 
it), says "FATHER FIELDING DID AS HE WAS ASKED!" 
Who ashed himf Father Carroll asserts HE didn't ask him. Then 
who didt Was Father Yorke the instigator, or was Dr. Henebry? 

In reading Father Yorke's shameful explanation it will be 
noticed that the word "PROMISED" crops out in almost every 
sentence. The frequent use of that word indicates that Father 
Fielding will probably offer as a defence the plea that Father 
Carroll promiaed to sign it for him, which claim Father Carroll 
positively and indignantly denies. 

When it comes to a question of veracity between the respected 
and honored Father Carroll and Father Fielding there is no 
doubt as to which will be believed. 

Suppose, for sake of illustration, that a man promiaed to 
sign a check for Father Fielding and failed to do so (or per- 
haps never promised), would Father Fielding feel Justified in 
signing that man's name to the check? 

Would the judge and Jury who would be sure to pass on it 
later accept the plea of "He promised to sign it?" 

We are very sorry, but really Father Yorke will have to in- 
vent a more plausible story. We cannot accept that, not even 
with a grain of salt! 

We will take the next sentence: "Father Fielding immediately 
LE7FT for Ireland." 

Of course he left for Ireland. He got out of the way! It was 
high time. He presumed Father Carroll would allow his name 
to go out to the public as one of the signers of the lying an- 
nouncement, but he made a mistake. Although he lived with 
Father Carroll he did not know him. Father Carroll is an 
honest man and despises trickery. He wrote to Father Yorke 



repudiating both the "Announcement" and the signature. 
Father Yorke did not publish it. 

Mr. Richardson received a similar letter from Father Carroll 
with permission to publish it in case Father Yorke refused to 
make the correction. The public knows the result. 

We will take the next sentence: "NOT HAVING THE FEAR 
OF HIS ASSISTANT BEFORE HIS EYES Father CarrbH 
put." etc. 

What does Father Yorke mean by that scandalous statement? 
Was Father Carroll habitually In fear of his assistant? Why 
should he fear him? Did he fear physical violence at his hands? 
Has Father Carroll complained or has Father Fielding spread 
the report? All those and many more questions bi>n * 
from them occur to every reader of Father Yorke's paper. W«» 
have heard them asked here in New York. "Why was not 
Father Yorke more explicit or else suppress the whole miser- 
able story?" 

One of the California delegates to the Philadelphia Conven- 
tion, when questioned regarding how Father Yorke contrived to 
be absent so frequently from his parochial duties, said that 
Father Yorke Is a bigger man in California than his bishop, and 
the bishop is afraid of him. We understood at the time that 
the bishop was afraid of Father Yorke's political strength. 

The fact that Father Yorke has been shamed into admitting 
his knowledge of the forgery after the fact shows clearly that 
the Henebrlates are on the run. True, or untrue, the story of 
Father Fielding's terrorism over his pastor should have been 
withheld, but alas, Father Yorke spares neither friend nor foe. 
Its publication does not hurt Father Carroll, which it evidently 
was Intended to do. 

The story Is a boomerang and strikes back at the man who 
sent it out and injures Father Fielding deeply. No sober man 
would reveal such things. Its publication clearly Indicates the 
mental and moral standing of the band of degenerates who 
stooped to forgery and to purloining private letters in order to 
blacken the character of men who would not be controlled by 
them. 

Dr. Shahan's letters were peddled around by Father Yorke's 
representative at Philadelphia. Mr. Richardson's private letters 
have been gotten somehow and published without his permission. 
The degenerates are now desperate. Probably if they had to do 
it all over again they would leave the forgery out. The odium 
of it will stick to them for years. It has brought them noth- 
ing but misfortune and disaster. 

One has been relegated to a sanitarium, another has been 
removed from his parish, a third has sunk into obscurity, while 
the last and noisiest is expecting something to happen in the 
very near future. They a.re a disgrace to their race. 

DEPARTMENT OF 

Agriculture and Techn ical Instructlan f or Ireland. 

INDUSTRIAL and 

AGRICULTURAL 

Nfw issuf oonsidf rably t nlargt d & practiotliy re-writtea. 

TTHIS— the most Important work on the economic resonrces of Itvland 
S^ issued from the Prens for many Tears— hae been published under 
the sapervislon of the Department of Agrlcultare and Technical 
Instmctioii for Ireland. It Is thus an authoritative work on the Industrial, 
Economic, and Rdncatlonal position of Ireland at the dawn of the 
tw entleth century 

Over 100 pages of entirelv new matter have been added to the present 
edition ; nearly a dozen of the original nrtiolee have been re-wHtten, and 
considerably amplified ; and the whole book has been thoroughly revised 
and brought up-to-date. 

The Volume, which contains over 500 Bnper Royal OctaTO 
pages, is Profusely Illustrated with upwards of 100 fall-pac« 
Plates Maps and Dia^ams, and numerous illustrationsui 



the text. 



PiO^V^T I«B&A.r>^K". 



^Prlce, in Qoth extr^, $2.50 Net : by mail 30a extra. 



PUBLISHED BY 

CHARLES SCR|BNER*S SONS, 153^57 HPTH^ AVE., 

Digitiz 



i\m«9, i«ia"i«7f ririii at 

tizTd**bi€-oogle 



An SAo-oAt. 





An-t)i^n 50 léip-Af ATI gAOtiAl, a^vj* if me^f , 
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t)oócúip ti-lccA-oA -An AépAnn, -Aigup p óspAm-Afx) -Ap 
buit)eAn «A 5Aet)il5e "SAn teijinc 'oo péin nÁ x>o Aon 
eile ccAóc i-oipiAX) -Agup cútf n-A ceAn^An. C-á fé 
inAp toóc A\K 6utx) •o'-Áp n-DAOine 50 li'-aipigte -Ap 
•óAOine 50 bpuil -A beAg nó ffióp do teiDil -aca, gup 
Dóig leó gup b' Ap An nDpuim a éipgeAnn An gpíAn. 
50 SAopAt) "Oja éipe ó'n f A$Ap pn D-AOine, fAgAf 
beA5- JnótAó móp-glópAó. 

tli pAibpiAfh -Aon CAtteAfh -A^Ainn -a beit -Ap Coipce 
gnótA ConnAptA n.v 5Aet)il5e in AmepiCA. t)íot)niAp 
te cpí nó ceAtAip do bliAt)nAib Afy An 5-Coipce-fo, •] 
D'4p n-Airht)eóin ip eAX> cogAt) pinn 5AÓ bLiA^OAin. 1p 
pé -An "ClAi-óeArii" -An óé^D pÁipéip -a DubvMpc 50 
pAbAniAip ^p top5 oipi^e riA Aon cetDit eiLe ó Conn- 
XKA-t) nA gACóilse, -A5up p in puD n'Áp óuip -áp nAttiAiD 
nA ^p5-cJlinceóipi'óe pAOi 'n -áp leit, 

tu5 -An *'CtAi"óe-At1i" a tuAipim, Agup tug pé ! -Ap 
d-cuaúaL. t)'féiDip nS puitimíD ^An loóc, -aóc ní't An 
"CLAit)eArh*' 5An bpeAtt, -j DeiptmíD leip -Anoip , mÁ 
buAtleAnn pé pAn le-ACAin "óéip p inn n-á beit) -Aon fonn 
oppAinn pléAfs eile 1 fulAing uAit) -Ap -An leACAin 

DR O'HICKEY. Vice-President of the Gaelic League, 
delivered a significant address in Liverpool on Mon- 
day evening (November 3). He discoursed on the 
language movement, its origin, and its growth. There can 
be no doubt that the movement has grown immensely, and 
it would be an advantage to have Gaels enlightened as to 
the main causes which have pushed it forward so rapidly. 
Clearly its leaders are working earnestly. They have little 
time to shape into narrative the history of the movement, 
little desire to laud the result of their own Industry. Rsu-ely 
does the genuine Gael talk loudly abouLiijs own maxims. 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



Ati SAO-uAl. 



é feo, wA'f fiofi é, A5«f Cimtitti^e ó óonn|id'6 tiA gAe-oils© /^5 
rAipceAl tiA cifc- le rpi no ceAÚAi|i "oe bti^^AncAib. tli t)e^\c^i{i 
A tui5pnr tiÁjt* eui]! tid'o^ome Aon ^n-fuim 1 5-cúip riA re4n5An 
éeit|te btiA-ÓAin ó foiti, Atz ní peiDin Aon lett-pcéAt -oo fteic ACd 
Anoip If bcAj feAdcriiAin 'ha 50 j-clóióbuúilcAtin ConnfiA'ó iia 
^Aex)il5e teAbAi|tm téi^eAtincA 1 Tn-t)éA|ilA b)tío5iiiA|i i fCAip- 
ceA]t tiA teAbAiftíni'óe peo gAii fCAoriAio Aft f uix) da "DUicee. T)o 
dui|i An ééAX) teA5Ai|tín aca po, cló-óbuAiteA'ó éeit|ie btiA^onA ó 
foin, cftit-eA5tA A}t óollÁipre nACfiíonói-oe, Ajuf, 'nÁ 6eAnnuA 
foin, TOO cunt pé ConnjiA^ nAgAe-óilse péin A^t An m-bcAlAO ccAttc. 
50 ^-cí fin bí fé A5 •out Amú^A: feo niA|t mnfcCAn lóúinn A]t Aon 
éumA. ó foin AnuAf cuifteA-ó -oeie leAbAittim-oe f lóeAX) éijin 1 5- 
ctó-6 I n-oiAij A ééile, Asuf if beA5 'nÁ 50 f Aib jAé «ile ceAnn 
4C6 cóth fÓ5AnrA leif An 5-ceAnn cof A15. 
« « •» 

tlAti' TOAit An pu-o -DA s-clo-obuAlFAi-oe teAbAifini-oe bcAjA 1 n- 

S^eOlllS A5Uf iAt) -OO fCAipCAt) inf nA -OUCAI^lb gAe-OCAtAdA. If 

mo f uime éui^tf ca-o nA -OAOice lonnrA, if f eÁf f a tui5fiT)if iat) 50 
móf . -Ajuf b'f éi-Dif leif 50 jcuiffeA-o nA IcAbAif íni-óe feo cajIa 
Aff ÓotlÁifce nA Cfíonói-oe. mÁ óuift 'outlteoi^ín 1 m-béAftlA 
fiA^Aib A|t teójAncAib An "Ouin gAll-oA fo finnée co5Ai'ó t>o 
■oeAnA-o wóf-tíméeALt fCfiobnofiA nA "DuilteojA, if beA^ bAO^AÍ 
nÁ 50 m-bAinpeA-o -ouitleoisín 1 nsAc^ilij jeic AfCA cóih waic. 
bA éóif, 50 h-Átfijte, 50 5-cuittfeA^ nA leAbAifi gAewlse 50 léif 
ArÁ fCfíobtA A5 An ^ÚAif ó 'Ouinnín C|tit-eA5lA — nÁtfe, nó casIa, 
Af A tAi5eAt) — Af nA peicni^eACAib 'oiorhAoine 1 5-CollÁifce eib- 
Uf, ÍAbf Ann 50 h-Á|t"o 1 x)-caoi5 nA reAnjAn, aóu nÁ snmcAnn 
f A1C eite Aji A fon. ní -oóí^a juft éum An gAe-oiLij'-oo éuf 1 bpeAb- 
Af rosrAji An cuA|tAfrAt nió|i -ooib feo awaó ; if •oóitije 50 nió]t 
5tin ó«m I -oo ihillcA-o é. 

* * * 

to btiA-ÓAin no ^o fCf íob An c-^tAifi ó "Ouinnin " CofmAC ó 
ConAitt," *'Citt Af ne," "'OÁncAUí UACAitte," '"OÁncA eoJAin 
nuAi-ó," *'t)ÁnuA áeAffAi-ó Uí 'ÓonncA-ÓA," "'OÁnrA ácAJAin ÓtÁf- 

AI5," "beACA eOJAin tlUAm,'* 1 "pttÓf gAe-OCAtAi^," AJUf tCAbAlf 

ette nÁé lAt). t)A éói|t 50 j-cuinfeA^ nA teAbAtf f eo, 5An rf ácc 
I n-Aonéuf CAtt An b-poctói|i, cf it-eA5tA Af ihuinncitt An cuAftAf- 
TAit ihóif if An 'oíoniAOincif, 1 5-CottÁifce nA Cfionoi-oe. t)A éóif 
50 s-cuiffeAió "Cfei-oeAih 'f SofCA" A5Uf "CobAf "Of aoi^cacca" 
^CAf 5-nÁif e Of CA. 'OÁ n-oéAnf aV) jaó ^Ae'óeAt oifCAT) oibf e te h- 
iiJx>Af nA tCAbAf fé, nó nÁ n--oéAnf a'ó "ScotAif fóe" nA 5Aex)it5e 
A fióeAiTiA-ó tuí-o féin ní beA'ó Aon CAfbA ticfCAeuA of fAinn fCAf- 
CA. Aéc tf f uAf a6 An mAircAf f úit x>o beit teif feo t)o f éi|i 5AÓ 
t>eAtt|tAiih. 

c t ó t) A n n 

Ifif te^bAf gACóe-AtAó if eA-ólf if te-áb4\f r\A gACoitge 
^noif, 1 n! ^AiceAmAp óóuipeArriAp Á\tneA\\ Aon u^X>^\\ 
CO bt^íogriiAf, có "óéig-peicf loncA nÁ có gAC'óe-AtAó te 
ti-uibip n-A t1ot)t4k5. JZá cut*MC t)|\e-A§ nu^-ó á\\, -| zá 
piccúipi"óe f ó--áitne a\k 5AÓ T)uitteó5 •oé, Aguf if puf- 
-Aifce -AiCinc gobpuit -ah ctifce^óc •ópui'óeAéc-Arh^Mt 1 
citice-Att If riA fCAn te^Gf ai5 ^5 iMtbeó'óugAt) -Afíf, ■] 
n! béi<;míT) peAf c-a s^n tof gut^Ai-oe a^ An m-bufóe-An 
ti-AOifitA téigeAnncA, fift-eóts-Aó, T)eAf-t^rhAó a be-Aóc- 
-Aig te-Ab^t^ r\A 5-CeAtt (Book of Kells), -Aguf ua 
rt\6\['leAt>A\^tA eite -a C^inig atíua^ óúgAinn of n-A 
ctAnzA\X>f ^suf A f AOf Ati ó teine tiA ti-eAócf ^Xiiaó 

All'ÓtA. 

tlí't poc-At SACf Afin f An «ibit^ fo, A^uf if tYió|\ é ÁfK 
T)-Cf«Ai5 'oo'n éi|\eAnnAó n^ó puit «itce Ajt é a téig- 
<íA-ó. U-á ct\4óc Ann Aft f^éif Cotmiin Ag An f ct^íobnóift 



Dr. O'Hickey admiU little is jet known about the lan- 
guage movement in the Irish-speaking districts. This is 
singular, if it be true, considering that the Organizers of 
the League have been traversing the country for three or 
four years. It is not difficult to understand that the people 
paid no very great attention to the language cause four 
years ago, but there is no valid excuse for this now. 
Scarcely a week elapses but the League publishes a learned 
pamphlet in choicest English, and these little pamphlets 
are being constantly circulated throughout the country. 
The very first of the pamphlets, published some four years 
ago, made Trinity College tremble to its foundations, and» 
in addition to this, it put the Gaelic League on the right 
road; so, at least, are we now told. From that time for- 
ward some thirty different pamphlets have been printed, 
almost every one of which was as admirable as the first 

* ♦ « 
Would it not be a good thing if some little pamphlets 
were published in Irish, and distributed in the Irish-speak* 
Ing areas? The people would appreciate them far more; 
they would understand them very much better. And these 
pamphlets, too, may make Trinity College tremble! If 
one little pamphlet in English terrified the champions of 
this Foreign Stronghold into dancing a war-dance round the 
author of that particular pamphlet, it can hardly be doubted 
that a pamphlet in Irish would frighten them somewhat 
also. No wonder, at any rate, that all the Irish books 
written by Father Dlnneen would simply terrify — shame or 
frighten, at the least— those lazy loungers in the College 
of Eiizabeth,w ho talk so loudly about the language but 
never do anything in its interest. It is hardly likely though 
that big salaries are given them with the object of pro- 
moting the language; it is likelier far that they are given 
them with the real object of destroying it. 

« -N- •» 

Within the past year or two Father Dlnneen has given 
us "Cormac O'Conaill," "KlUarney," "O'Rahilly's Poems," 
"Eoghan Ruadh O'Sullivan's Poems," the Poems of Mac- 
Donnell. and of Geoffrey O'Donoghue, the Life of Eoghaia 
Ruaidh and "Irish Prose," with various other works be- 
sides. Little wonder all these books, without referring at 
all to his Dictionary, would terrify the men of *'big sal- 
aries" and of "idleness." Little wonder his "Faith and 
Famine" and "Enchanted Well" would put them to shame. 
If all Gaels did as much as the author of these books, or If 
the Irish "scholars" did only one-twentieth as much there 
would be no dearth of literature henceforward. But there 
is little good in hoping thus at least according to all ap« 
pearances 

A n tl A "D . 

t)fto$rhAf,p4T)pAi5 rriAcSuibne; 'Scoil gAeTfteAÍA*/ 
A5 '^Conán tTlAOL." If uiaiC -An corfiAifle aca fAn a^c 
fo, A^uf zS An 6Ainc50 bo^ ■] 50 blAfc^ niAf 5AÓ n^-o 
xyÁ'\\ f cf íob ConÁn. *t)A "OubA Ioóa nA h-Góf n An,' Ag 
*'5f UA5AÓ An CobAtjA ;'' l^p -^lAinn 50 leif An ng^JieT&itis 
ATCÁ A5 An n5í\UA5Aó ; *ApT)An nA n^Ae-oeAt,' po cpilóc 
bpeÁg A\K An n'Op^mA 3 e-óeAÍAó, 'forlonspopc "OiinA 
liunóe'AS Se^$An 0muirhneAó4in,if niAit An cuAififc é 
VOAfK CAtt "Óúin t)útt)e, *CA0b nAfAipfse/ A5 "Oifin." 

So Cp-áÓC Af f lÚbAll COip nA pAlft^ge, Agtlf If T)eALCAip 

Á^z X>A bfxe^gt-A Cum f lubAiU a gAbAit 'n-á An 4ic óéA"ó- 
nA. X)o 6u\fK fé -A fiúbAiLóumfoóAtf mAfoo tAinis 
peAfcpvAfnA A^fK 50 f Atb An n^ACoilis 50 blAfCA Aige, 
A5«r 'OO fct^iob **Oirin" fior An c-AbtvAn "An Á\z T3a> 
$AbAf " óAnAt) An gA-oeAl^eopA. Cuit^ -An f ctxtobnoifi 
5leuf céót Aip. UAt)5 'OonnóA'óA An feAf-eAS^ip, 
Asupiiit) 5JIÓ 5AÓ fin T)o t^Jlt). ^^ 



All 5AO*ÓAt. 



(( 



ill A 1 n n e. 



CjiáÓC -AH fpé-Af-fA'Ó-ApC^Mti toÓA télfl AgUf fl-A CifO 

ietf xJin AtAitt po^-opAis tJ^ t)«tnntn. 

leAbAitttn longAfiCAo if eA-o é f eo ; óip, -do f éi|\ tYiAji 
If 1 An -oútAó ciméeAll toóA téin, Aft a' t^' cuAififc é, 
An o> If T)puit)eAóCAtiitA peAÓAin A^up CAifbeAnAt) 
•D4 tJpuil te p^SMil 1 n-éipinn iAt-§tAir riA feoi-o- 
'óeife, If é feó An leAttAipín if •oeife, if AnAmAtliU, I 
If CAi\|VAin5ti$e 5Aet)iU5 •o^'f' cuirhin linn •of Atcfin. 

tliof tt'fuAfAf -oo 5An A tJeiC, -] n! ti-iongnAt) linn a 
ttéit AtfitAit), -oe Wff eolAif T fogluniCA An ú§t)A1i\i 
-áitneAóCA nA •oútóAige Af a 5-cuipeAnn fé fiop ; aóc, 
uime fnvif lonsAncAr móf tinn uirfiif nA n-'oeAfmAt) 
A rS f ^s^^ 5^" óCAfCúgAt) 1 n-eA5Af da CAince, Atfi- 
Ait, óímf-o in f An f éAtii-f ocaI, *'6uni f ulc if fcléip -do 
■óéAnAtfi ;" 1 n-ionA-o "cum fuitc Aguf fcléipe T)0 
•óéAnAtii ; "if tinn Af f At) 1/' in 4ic"if tinn i aji f a-o ;" 
- "te nA mitce bLiA-óAin" mAji a' f' óeAfc/'le nA milce 
btiA-oAti ;" "if móji if xySfK •o-cin téif-riiAif e toóA Vein 
x>Á t)-fAicim1f !," mAji A'f' téif "bAt) tfióf Aft-pú "o'^f 
•o-cín téAf-rhAife IóCa téin -oA b-fAicfimif í/' An 
ceA^tc. Aóc ní fruil f Uge AgAinn éum teAncA -oe f o 
A^uf if oC tinn Aon toóc 'oo óeit le f Aicpn Ann. 

ZS 4yry c-úg-OAt^ ct^uinn 50 teó|\ 1 n-v\ CuAifxifC. tl! 
téif •oúinn Aóc AtiiAin -o'-A "oeApmA-o Aif^. Ip •oeApniAT) 
'OO A f.^!!), Af óéAirhic tli ááaieAMin fhuc-t^uif, 5"^ 
Ab' Af geAtUrhAin f fotóÁnA •00 meAlUt) piAfAf Velt^- 
céAt\ 50 CiLt-Áit\ne, ói^ if 1 5-cointb a Cor 5^^" <^^^'o 
•oó -oocusA-ó Ann é. t)o X>í piAfAf péit^ceAf 1 b-foUó 
1 "o-ciS An UfeAncAigi m-t)Aite-An-c-rléit>e, 1 n-iAftAf 
]pionncfÁ$A. "OobfAit feAt\ 'oe rhuinncif téigin é; 
5A5At) An peifCéAfAó 1 cu^a-o 50 Cill Áifne é ; Asuf 

'OO teiÓ fOAt\ A bpAltCe CAJt f AltvpS^» -AÓC -00 CAfAt) 

clAnn piAfAip -Ait^ in f An SpÁin A^uf 'D'oíT)i$eAX)Af é. 
. If é An T)A|\A "óeAf mA-o '50 n^AipmeAnn f é " mumcit^ 
eogUfA Ain tlA tlUf Aet)ÓAl&, A5Uf muifxir ti-eosufA 
Af rfluifir tlufAeit) ÓAtAitA-'n-f4inn ; óiji ní "D'Aon f uit 
gAeOeAlAiS nAtlufAeit)ig. "Oe 11ufAet)óAió Cot^cA- 
•OuiOne -oe b'eA-ó muincit^ Cill Áifxne ; X)e teA§U\ó 
gAUA-tt^uim 1 n-Oif-rtli-oe •00 b'eAt) HurAeit)i$ CottCA 
•Ouibne, A5ur t)Af> "oe fliocc Raymond Husé, a t4in- 
i5An-Alli 5-cofAib rhuttMr í^íc ^eAfAiLc, -00 b'eA-ó 
tlufAei-óig $*MlA-Cí\uim. 

nifAicimío'De eAfnAfh aija lomtÁine nA cuAi|\irce 
Aóc 5An Aon AinmiugAt) •00 beiú ince Aif\ nAOfiiAib 
Citl' ÁiiAne nS Af rhAolrntAni CeAíxbAilL. A^uf gAn 
An Aimpn 1 "-A'n' ^^'P t)órhnAll (nA n-sitfiteAó) 
l^onnóA-óA-oo beit ^^ipigte te fUAimeAnc. 

fSittins 50 -ÓÁ fsitlins, "oo \^é^\ ^n óurfiT)4is, if 
eA^ ^AéAAn leAbAip. 

A5 peAT)At\ niAC l^ionnlAOió. 

X:á -átAf móf Ofxt^Ainn An teAbvvp fo f Aicfinc niAf if 

cóftA eite é 50 bf uit An 5Aet)ili5 A5 •out óum óinn, 

Aguf if niói\ if pú •oor nA SAe-oilseoitxi-oe nÁó b-f uit 

puinn eólAf aca At^ rhúnA-ó An fciú|iugA"ó Aguf An 

CAtíAlf AC4 te f AgÁll ACA A\\ An CADlAnn f O 1 leAbAip 

tflic frionntAOió. Zá fíAgAtCA óum nA ceAn^An 
t)oifiúnA"ó Annpo, A5Uf m^ tuigceAt^ a s-ceAfxc iao t 



m^ teAncAf 50 T)utfAóCAó x>Á n' |\éit\ bei-ó An bótAp 
A b-f AT) níof féi-ó nA beit) fé feiiiiefo óum nA ceAn^- 
An A leAtAnúgAt). 

tli'l puinn meAf A5 An úgT)At\ Af rhúnA-ó leAbAi^t 
ótini eotAf A tAbAif c Af Aon ceAngA, T if a 5-cónif á-ó 
AZÁ A rhuingín óum ceAn^A a ifiúnAt) nó a f ógiuim. 1|* 
•ooig tinn 5ut\ Aige azá An ceA^z mAf if ó óótfif^t) if 
eA-ó t)'f ógttnmis 5A6 •ouine A^Ainn pé coAngA azá 
Aige, -] mÁ'f miAn te íi-éifeAnnóAib gAetíilis a beit 
ACAif fé An flíge AicioncA óum eotAf a gAb^it uifti 
1 fógluim ó béAt An gAe-oitseoifi-oe. tlf 6eAfC -00 
Aon triúinceóif a beit 'gi eAgmAif. 

'ASfO PfeASfA-Ó "O^lbl-O t)U X)A\i\iA Aljt 

CeífC p-áT)pAi5 Cun-oun 1 n-g-ACUAt 
íflitirii-An-|ró§tiiAif — 

. pé Aif bit f eAt^ T)o fcf fob An f Ann, 

'S ó«i|\ f íf inneÁ6 6|\0f t)a 1 Iaoi nA 5-Cf Ann, 
t)A-ó itiAiC An f A-óAf c •ouic é 5An rheAns ; 
Oif if é t)iA 'OO óonnAf CAif Ann. 

Ha ceitpe cfAinn a 'o' óonnApcAif C|\ia, 

A^n Upionoit) nAorhtAin Aon "Oia; 

'S c4it) ceAnsAilce t)'^ óéite có 'otut 'f^" ^^Tf 

t14ófiof ci^-oíob Af A bpuilAn c-Aon eite A5 f4f 

^SWP niúineAnn -áf gcf emeArh tjuinn 5AÓ Am, 

50 bpúitit) corh^p-o, córiifoif cil. cóitfn\eAfiiAi|i. 

t)o bí An c-AtAif 'n A tiiA 5An óumAfs "óAon-OA, 
'S An triAC 'n A t>iA 'f 'nA -óuine 1 n-AonT)Aóc; 
'OO bí bUC nA -DAonAocA Af An Itl ac ^An bAff aóu^ 

AY ^^^ "^ -OIA-OAOCA bí Af An AÚAip ; 

A'f bA"ó Aon cof\At) "Ooib gAn ólAonA-ó ; 
Oit\ b'é An T)-coit f AopAt) nA cinne T)AonA í 
Af A óéite ó c-ái-o A5 F^r ^'•^t^ rhAOi-óim-f e 
t)o gní-ó A n-tnfiiif a ti-oóc "oe'n Aon t)iA cmnce. 



C^MteAtll An gl-AIS. 
Aircpigte teif An AtAif GogAn 5í^^*í^*^^« 

A pÁix) A fcóiji, An 5-cuA-ólAf póp 30 n-T>eA|tnA^ Aitno 'f 

■olíje, 
5An ScAnntó^ fteic A5 f Áf 1 S-Cfté tiA h-éitieAnn pcAfCA 

áoiióc' ? 
5 All tÁ fell pÁt)|iAi5 óAiteAm, r^án -outlte st^f 5eic *|t 

fÁSAtl, 

Ain f eAfi tió ThnAot — f ijt> é am "otije Af SAf AnnA aiiaII 1 
ó ! CAf A^ nAppeft Caitoi -ÓAm, A'p jtaj f é A|t mo iÁim, 
"CiA '11 ÓAO»/* A|t fé, ftpuil éijie boóc ? nó b-ftiil f í vóp t)'ÍL 

"SÍ Ati n'it ip boióce c|tÁix5ce í "oA 5puit 'f ^*^ "ooniATi Aiji pATX 
gAé i?eA]i aY be All a óAiteAf stAp -oa 5-c]to6A^ f uAf 5 An 

fCAt)." 



mÁ*f é 'n -oAt te CAiteAth, a «-"OeAtts f uitreAé féin, 
' ó 1 cui|tpi^ fé I 5-ctiitTine "óúmn An f uit "oo "óóific «a rféin | . 
Cuifi 'óíoc, iTiA^ fin, An r-SeAni|iÓ5, CAit tiAtti, aóc «a fAoit 

nAÓ 5-CU1|1p1^ fí A p|léAniA fíOf*: tlí h-eAJAt-oi, tlí bAO^AÍ. 

'naAi|i A éoifSfeAf -Dlije -nA SAfAnAÓ An peun ó ftcic A3 ipAf 
'nuAi^i A ioifSpeAf f6 An 'ouilteAbAfi inf An f Athf a^ ó text 

ó, bAinpi^ mé An u-SeAmfi65 -oe mo éÁibín An lÁ nxy, 
A6c leAnpAi-ómé, le cun^nAih 'Oé,T>o'n T>uille5lAf 30 f^-^*^ 

%^ 



24 



THE GAEL, 



January, I9P3. 




OSSIAN'S VISION OF HELL, 

By Stepheo Gwynn* 

Ck)pyrlghted, 1902, by The Gael Publishing Co. 



[Note: Every one knows how In the days of Cormac MacArt, Finn MacCool and his Fianna, or braves» were the 
«hampions of Ireland; and how at last a fairy woman appeared among them and dared any to go with her; how Ossian, 
Finn's son, took up the challenge and followed her to Tir-na-n-OOf where he lived for a while, till, thinking long for his 
own country, he defied her warning and went back, to find himself old and broken, his comrades dead and forgotten, and 
a new faith supreme in the land. Every one knows how he was brought to St Patrick, and how in colloquies between 
them the great deeds of the Fianna were related; for all this makes the main theme of Irish folk-tale. But one chapter 
of that cycle of saga had slipped out of mind, and never sa w print, till my friend Seamus MacManus, recovered it He 
heard the poem in Donegal from an old man, an evicted tenant, whose cabin had been pulled down, but who lay bed- 
ridden under a roof of scraws, propped to the shaky gable. Lying on the roof by the vent-hole, at once chimney and win- 
dow, for there was no room in the kennel, he noted down what the bed-ridden peasant chanted to him — the lay that 
I have Englished here.] 



1TELL you an ancient story, 
Learnt on an Irish strand. 
Of lonely Ossian* returning 
Belated from fairy land 

To a land grown meek and holy. 
To a land of mass and bell. 
Under the hope of heaven, 
Under the dread of hell. 

It tells how the bard and warrior. 
Last of a giant race. 
Wrestled a year with Patrick 
Answering face to face; 

Mating the praise of meekness 
With vaunt of a warrior school 
And the glory of God the Father 
With the valor of Finn MacCool; 

Until at the end the hero 
Through fasting and through l>rayer 
Came to the faith of Christians, 
Forsaking the days that were. 

Then, says the story, Patrick, 
Seeing the fierce grown mild. 
Laughed with Joy on his convert 
Like father on first-born child. 

"Well 'twas for you, O Ossian, 
Tou came to the light," he said. 
"And now I will show you the torment 
From which to our God you fled." 

Then with a pass of his crozler 
He put a spell on the air 
And there fell a mist on the eyeballs 
Of Ossian standing there. 

•Olsin (son of Flonn MacCumhalll) is 
pronounced Ossian In Connacht and the 
Highlands of Scotland, and Usheen In 
funster. 



Shapes loomed up through the dark- 
ness 
And "Now," says the saint, "look well. 
See your friends the Fianna, 
And all their trouble in hell." 

Ossian stared through the darkness. 
Saw as the mist grew clear. 
Legions of hell-black warriors 
Raging with sword and spear: 

Footmen, huge and mlshapen, 
StlCTened with snarling ire. 
Chariots with hell-black stallions 
Champing a spume of fire; 

And all of the the grim-faced battle 
With clash, and yell, and neigh. 
Dashed on a knot of warriors 
Set In a rank at bay. 

Ossian looked and he knew them. 
Knew each man of them well, 
Knew his friends the Fianna 
There in the pit of hell. 

There was his very father. 
Leader of all their bands, 
Finn, the terrible wrestler. 
Griping with giant hands; 

Oscar with edge-blade smiting; 
Caollté with charging lance; 
Dlarmuld poising a javelin. 
Nimble as In the dance; 

Conan the crop-eared stabber 
Aiming a slant-way stroke, 
And the fiery Lugach, leaping 
Where the brunt of battle broke. 

But in front of all by a furlong. 
There in the hell-lignt pale, 



Was the champion, Gull MaoMonuw^ 
Winding a monstrous flail. 

And still the flail as he swung it 
Sang through the maddened air. 
Chanting the deeds of heroes, 
A song of the days that were. 

It swung with a shrilling of pipers. 
It smote with a thud of drums, 
It leapt and It whirled In battle 
Crying, "Gull MacMorna comes!" 

It leapt and it smote, and the devils 
Shrieked under every blow; 
With the very wind of Its whistling 
Warriors were stricken low. 

It swept a path through the army 
Wide as a winter flood. 
And down that lane the Fianna 
Charged In a wash of blood. 

Patrick gazed upon Ossian 
But Ossian watched to decry 
The surf and the tide of battle 
Turn as In days gone by. 

And lo! at the sudden onset 
The fighters of Eire made 
And under the flail of MacMorna 
The host of the foemen swayed; 

Broke; and Ossian breathless. 
Heard the exultant yell 
Of his comrades hurling the deyila 
Back to the wall of hell. 

And the sword blades reaped lite, 

sickles, 
And the javelins fell like hail, 



*Gull (MacMoniit) is generally spellel 
Goll and usuaHy pronounced "OowL" 

Digitized by vjL 



January, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



25 



And louder and ever louder 
Rose the song of the flail, 

As whirling In air the striker 
Swung shrill or thudded dull 
"When, woe! the tug on a sudden 
Broke in the grasp of Gull. 

Handstaff and striker parted. 
The song of the flail was dumb; 
On the heart of Ossian watching 
Fell that silence numb. 

And oh! for a time uncounted 
He watched with straining eyes 
The tide of the devils' battle 
Quicken, and turn and rise. 

He watched the Fianna's onset 
Waver, and hang in doubt. 
He watched his leaderless comrades 
Swept in a struggling rout; 

Till Oull, in the crash and tumult, ' 
And dashed with a bloody rain. 
Knotted his flail together 
With sinews out of the slain. 

And. as the gasping Fianna 
Felt their endeavor fail. 
Chanting their ancient valor 
Rose the voice of the flail 

And again in the stagnant ebbing 
Of their blood began to flow 
The tide of a surging courage 
The faith in a crowning blow. 

And the heart of their comrade watch- 

ing 
Stirred with Joy to behold. 
Feats of his by-gone manhood, 
Strokes that he knew of old. 

Again he beheld the stubborn 
Setting of targe to targe; 
Again he beheld the rally 
Swell to a shattering charge. 

And surely now the Fianna 
Would slaughter and whelm the foe 
In a flerce and flnal triumph 
Lords of the realm below. 

As they leapt in the battle madness 
Climbing on heaps of slain — 
And again Gull's wizard weapon 
Flew on a stroke in twain! 

For a time and times uncounted 
Ossian endured the sight 
Of the endless swaying tumult. 
The ebb and flow of the fight 

His face grew lean with sorrow. 
And hunger stared from his eyes 
And the laboring breath from his 

bosom 
Broke in heavy sighs. 



Until at the last St Patrick 
In a voice of pity spoke 
''Vexed is your look, O Ossian, 
As your very heart were broke. 

Courage, O new-made Christian! 
Great is my joy in you, 
I would like it ill on a day of grace 
My son should have aught to rue. 

Therefore for these your comrades, 
I give you a wish to-day 
That sball lift them out of their tor- 
ment 
Into some better way. 

Speak— be bold in your asking, 
Christ is strong to redeem." 
Ossian turned on him sudden 
Like one awakened from a dream. 

And the old man's cheek was flushed 

now. 
Praying had left it pale — 
"Patrick, give Gui*l MacMobna 
An ibon tug to ms flail." 

Patrick is dead and Ossian, 

Oull to his place is gone. 

But the tcord3 and the deeds of heroes 

Linger in twilight on. 

In a ItoiUght of fireside tellings 
Lit by th€ poet's lay. 
Lighting the gloom of hardship 
Tlie night of a needy day. 

And still the Gael as he listens 
In a land of mass and bell 
Under the hope of heaven. 
Under the dread of liell. 

Thinks long like age-spent Ossian 
For the things that are no more, 
For the clash of meeting weapons 
And the mad delight of war. 



MR. GEORGE MOORE, the Irish 
author, avers that in connection 
with the Irish printing industry 
"it is as easy to bring some thousands 
of pounds into Dublin as it is to call an 
outside car." His idea is that Irish au- 
thors should make a practice of askmg 
their publishers to have their books 
printed In Dublin. 

His own published has consented to 
have his new book printed in the Irish 
capital, having ascertained that print- 
ing in that city is not more expensive 
than in London or Edinburgh. 

Mr. Moore asks other authors who 
"live by describing Irish people and 
scenery^'-HSuch as Dr. Barry, Miss Jane 
Barlow, Mr. Justin McCarthy, and Mr. 
Frankfort Moore— to follow his ex- 
ample, and to '*pay their model" by 
having their books printed in Ireland. 



Irish National Theatre* 

THE Irish National Theatre So* 
ciety, the members of which 
produced the Irish plays during 
Samhain week at the Antient Concert 
Rooms, Dublin, have opened their 
hall at 84 Lower Camden Street, with 
what ought to prove an attractive pro- 
gramme, including Mr. Fred Ryan's 
play, "The Laying of the Founda- 
tions," Mr. Yeats' farce, "A Pot of 
Broth," and Mr. MacGinley's play in 
Irish, "Ellis agus an bhean deirce." 

Mr. W. G. Fay, the stage manager 
of the Society, under whose direction 
the pieces are produced, appeared in 
"A Pot of Broth." 

Late Mrs* Seamus MacManus* 

IN the little country churchyard of 
Frosses, County of Donegal, where 
rest the remains of Ethna Car- 
bery, a beautifully sculptured Celtic 
cross has been erected to her mem- 
ory by her father, Mr. Robert John- 
ston, of Belfast The Inscription la 
in the language which was dear to the 
heart of her that is dead, and for the 
revival of which she strove so worth- 
ily and well. 

The Irish wording is the work of a 
friend and fellow-laborer whom she 
valued dearly, the well-known Conaiv 
Maol, It is thus: 

"1 m-btAC 11A h-ó»7;e t)o bAilUj "Oia leir- 
eitne CAmbtie, 

t)eAn SeAmutf flUc m43i5ntjir, 
tlm CAifS 1902. 
•'t)eAii-uArAt Átix)-Ai5e4t)rAÍ, jté-ititiciti- 
CAé, •oeA5-c|tei5eA6 do b'cAD eicne : bedn- 
f ite ir cíjt-feAéoitt t)'oib|ti5 50 DiAfi-cAlniA. 
Ajt fon ceAnjA-o if rocAift a cipe, if -00 óui|i 
bfteo-teme le b^iis í n-intinn $Aex>eAt le 
11-A btiÍACVA bmne. 

"A5 jluti "Oé in-oitj CÁ A h-AflAtTi jcaI A5 
5ui"óe le h-AJAiD An Iac u-o tja ngAe^eAt 
ACÁ 1 ti-T)An -oo teAÓr." 

(Translation as follows): 
In the bloom of her youth God gath- 
ered to himself 

EITHNE CARBERY, 
Wife of Seamus MacManus, 
Easteriide, 1902. 
A magnanimous, pure-minded, high- 
ly accomplished noble lady waa 
Eithne. A poetess and patriot who 
worked strenuously for the cause of 
the language and freedom of her coun- 
try, and put living flre and spirit int(> 
the minds of the Irish race with her 
sweet words. 

At the knee of God now her bright 
soul is praying for that day that is to 
come for the deliverance of the GaeL 



26 



THE GAEL. ianuary, J903. 

Disillusioned^ A Little Rugged Boreen Far Away» 



From a far world, and cold, and lone, I plead a heart-wrung 
plain, 

O, Mountain Guardians of my home, throw wide your arms 
again! 

For, desolate, heart-hungry, and sore sick of soul am I, 

In my heart's sad depths I yearn, I yearn within your arms 
to lie. 

The world has proved so false, and life grown hitter on my 
tongue, 

Gone every rainbow hope that 'fore my foolish eyes had 
sprung. 

I'm weary-worn, and at my breast there gnaws a sharp- 
toothed pain— 

O, Mountain Guardians, take me to your loving arms again! 

Dark Mountains of my love, long-lost, forbear that hurting 

frown : 
To my woeful weight of sorrow add not Sorrow's iron 

crown 
Tou cherished me in childhood, you held me, when a boy, 
In your big embrace, and gave me all the world may give 

of Joy — 
Tou told me tales, and sung me songs, and showed me 

treasures gay. 
I turned my back on you— may God forgive! — one evil day; 
Nor dropped a tear; but left you; and now, when sorrows 

raiD^ 
I cry, O Mountains of my home, throw wide your arms 

again! 

Woe worth that luckless day of days I climbed thy topmost 

knoll! 
That bitter day and hour down-dropped from me my peace 

of soul. 
I saw a glittering world beyond: whereat a strange unrest. 
That my dream-life had never known, was stirring in my 

breast. 
A-through that world, afar, it drove me many a footsore 

mile^ 
To find it base, its glitter false, and treacherous its smile. 
My breast is racked, my heart is dry, and throbbing loud 

my brain — 
O Mountains, take me, draw me to your loving arms again! 

O, Rugged Ones! with hearts so warm for all ye look so 

wild. 
Stretch out your mighty arms and gather me, an errant 

child. 
In your great clasp, and bathe my weary spirit with your 

balm; 
To your blue bosom fold me, cloak me with your holy calm 
That's only broken by the black-cock's crow, the plover's 

flap. 
And plash of speckled trout on the still lakes within your 

lap. 
With ye I'll find forgetfulness of a- world so void, so vain— 
O, Mountains, Mountains of my youth, fling wide your arms 

again. 

SEAMUS MAC MANUS. 



There's a little rugged boreen far away! 
Where the dusty road is winding to the dreamy, golden 
And the heather-hills are sleeping, like a weary host at rest. 
And when evening shades are falling 
I can hear the birdeen's calling 
In that little rugged boreen far away. 

O, that little rugged boreen far away! 
How our thoughts at times will leap across the chasm of 

the years. 
And the voices of the past will come, unbidden, to our ears. 
And will touch our hearts in greeting 
Like the leafy branches meeting 
O'er that little rugged boreen far away! 

O, that little rugged boreen far away! 
When the hawthorn scent was floating on the holy mora* 

ing air. 
And the fairy dew was glistening on the pure, white blos- 
soms there. 
With the thrushes all a-singing 
On the branches lightly swinging 
In that little rugged boreen far away. 

O, that little rugged boreen far away! 
With the grand old poplars thrusting up their heads into 

the sky. 
Till you'd think they'd say: "God save ye," to the white 
clouds drifting by, 
And the leaves with laughter shaking 
At their mystic merry-making 
In that little rugged boreen far away. 

O, that little rugged boreen far away! 
When the people sat at evening in the shadow of the trees 
And with voices, low and gentle, as the whispering of the 
breese. 
Passed the time in song and story 
Till the stars came out in glory 
O'er that little rugged boreen far away. 

How I love that little boreen far away, 
It is shrined within my memory like a mother's angel «mile 
That no clouds of earth can darken nor no change of time 
deflle. 
And my love shall live, unending — 
As the blue sky, lowly bending. 
O'er that little rugged boreen far away. 

BRIAN O'HIGGINS. 




Dead 

In Merioneth over the sad moor 
Drives the rain, the cold wind blows. 

Past the ruinous church door 
The poor procession without music goes. 

Lonely she wandered out her hour and died. 

Now the mournful curlew cries 
Over her. laid down beside 

Death's lonely people: lightly down she lies. 

In Merioneth the wind lives and wails 

On from hill to lonely hill: 
Down the loud triumphant gales 

A spirit cries "Be strong!" and cries "Be still!" 

LIONEi; JOHNSOp. 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



January^ J 903, 



THE GAEL. 



27 




THE poems of the late Lionel John- 
son are co be collected and pub- 
lished in a volume to which 
Katharine Tynan will contribute a 
preface. His prose essays are to fill 
another volume. 



BARONESS BONDE was an Irtsh 
lady who married a Dutchman 
residing in an official position in 
Paris in the revolutionary days of 1848. 
She set down in her journal many in- 
timate revelations of the period and its 
celebrated personages, and this Jour- 
nal is now to be published. 



A COMPLETE translation into 
Welsh of Dante's "Divina Com- 
medla" is in course of prepara- 
tion. Only fragments of the work 
have existed so far in Welsh. The 
book is to be illustrated by a Welsh 
artist, Mr. Edwards, who has been 
visiting Florence. 



WE have received from Mr. P. H. 
Pearse a copy of "Seaghan 
O'Dulbhlr an Ghleanna," the 
fifth of the Oireachtas choruses. It is 
beautifully harmonized by Mr. Robert 
O'Dwyer and turned out In the same 
tasteful style as those which we have 
already noticed. The price is the same 
— ^threepence. 



MISS MARGARET BLAKE-ROB- 
INSON, editor of the "Herald of 
Light," has written a charming 
story of Irish life to which she has 
given the unusual title of "The Left- 
side Man." His real name is Cabal 
Desmond and his sweetheart is Nan- 
neen Nolan. 

Miss Robkison aims to show that 
Ireland is not as carricaturists picture 
it, and in doing so mixes love, politics, 
and moonlighting. 325 pages, 8vo, 
cloth. Herald of Light Publishing Co., 
New York. 



BLACKIE & SON, London, an- 
nounce 'The Literature of the 
Celts, its History and Romance." 
By Magnus MacLeal, M. A. D. Sc F. 
R. S. E. 416 pages, demy 8vo. 

As a book of reference on Celtic lit- 
erature, this work will prove of great 
assistance to every student alike of 
general as of special literature. 



MESSRS. CRAMER, WOOD Jb 00.« 
music publishers, Dublin, are 
bringing out a new Irish song, 
the music of which is by Mr. O'Brien 
Butler. 

The name in Gaelic is ICaitin} 
"Cawteen." The Irish words are by 
Tadhg O'Donoghue. The English 
translation by Dr. Waller, is under the 
title of "Kitty Nelll." The song is 
dedicated to Lady Gregory. 



HARPER BROTHERS, New York^ 
announce "On an Irish Jaunt- 
ing-Car Through Donegal and 
Connemara." By Samuel G. Bayne. An 
amusing jourDey taken by the author 
and his friends from New York to 
Londonderry and thence through the 
beautiful IriE^ country on a jaunting- 
car. Illustrated by photographs fur- 
nished by Lawrence, Dublin. Post, 
8vo, cloth, $1.25. 



THE first yearly volume of Denvir's 
Monthly Irish Library is com- 
pleted by the publication of the 
book for December. This is from the 
pen of Mr. Thomas Flannery, and its 
subject is "Dr. John O'Donovan." No 
person is more competent to write in 
popular form a sketch of the life, 
labors, and character of the great Irish 
scholar and antiquarian. 

The little volume contains a good 
portrait of Dr. O'Donovan, which has 
been drawn by Mr. William O'Dubhain, 
from a likeness of his father lent by 
Mr. Richard O'Donovan, of Liverpool. 



MR. T. O'NEILL LANE, Touma- 
fuUa, Newcastle West, County 
Limerick, announces that hs 
has in preparation an English-irish 
Dictionary. This dictionary will con- 
tain between 80,000 and 40,000 English 
words and their modern Irish equiva- 
lents, and where there are several 
equivalents for the same word they 
have been differentiated as far as prao- 
ticable without making the book too 
large. 



AN appropriate New Year's gift is a 
new volume of verse entitled "A 
Martyr of the Mohawk Valley," 
and other poems by P. J. Coleman, 
published by the "Messenger," Nos. 27 
and 29 West 16th St, New York, and 
which has been received with great 
favor by literary critics. The work la 
artistically bound with gilt top; is 
printed on fine paper and will make a 
desirable addition to drawing room or 
library. 

In its contents, it Is up-to-date, 
touching on many events of the day — 
the religious persecution of France, 
the Boer war, the late visit of Roch- 
ambeau to America and kindred topics. 
The price of the volume is $1.00 post- 
paid. 



"K 



OTTO: Some Japanese Curios, 
with Sundry Cobwebs," by 
Lafcadio Hearn, will be pub- 
lished next month by the Macmillan 
Company. Hearn's writings are very 
interesting, partly through the choice 
of his subjects and partly through the 
delicacy of his fancy and expression. 
He visited the secret places of the east, 
wrote about what he saw, and trans- 
lated it. His mother was Grecian and 
bis father was Irish. 

JOSEPH MARTIN. Official Lecturer. 
Board of Education. New York City, an- 
nounces that he Is open for engagre- 
ments for stereoptlcon lectures on Ire- 
land and Irish subjects. 

Address: 124 Lafayeljte Avenue, 

^. . . , , I Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Digitized by Vnv 



28 



THE GAEL. 



January^ Í903# 




The past twelve months have wit- 
nessed a development of the Gaelic 
League which must give high hope to 
everybody sincerely Interested In the 
perpetuation of Ireland's nationhood. 
The number of affiliated branches of 
the League Increases steadily, and 
County and District Committees are 
springing up all over the country to 
regulate local affairs. The organizing, 
editorial and clerical staffs have each 
been largely augmented, the League's 
organs have been appreciably Improv- 
ed—all Its departments have In fact 
been placed on a practical business 
basis. And Its new and original pub- 
lications follow each other with almost 
startling rapidity. Moreover, the atti- 
tude of the press towards the move- 
ment has become decidedly friendly. 



In no part of Ireland has the lan- 
guage movement got such a hold as in 
Dublin. Cities, of course, lend them- 
selves peculiarly to organization, and 
sustained organization necessarily In- 
fluences communities everywhere. 
Hitherto there has been a very healthy 
rivalry between tne various units of 
the organization In Dublin; but the 
branches have now so multiplied as a 
result that the frequency of their in- 
dividual functions has become almost 
embarrassing. This Is a promising 
even If embarrassing state of things. 
Henceforward the desirable innorationii 
even the most ambitious social fliyhfa 
of the League's earlier days will be re- 
garded as quite commonplace, other 
features more racy, more distinctively 
native will supersede them, and so, the 
ideal will be gradually and steadily 
approached. 



The Keating Branch has since its 
inception done much to nationalize the 
League's work. Its proposals at last 
Congress, though then misinterpreted 
and somewhat stoutly opposed, have 
resulted in a very visible opening up of 
the organization. Its Inaugural ad- 
dress for the current session was hap- 
pily chosen, having been delivered by 
Mr. P. J. O'Shea, better known as 
"Conan Maol." On the Invitation of the 



,° Notes from 
Ireland. 




Lord Mayor, the popular president of 
the branch, the lecture came off in the 
Mansion House. Being exclusively In 
Irish, and fohowed by an exclusively 
Irish debate. It may be said to have 
been the first purely Irish function 
held within the Mansion House walls. 
Under the auspices of the branch Fr. 
Lee, of Limerick, has also delivered a 
most instructive lecture on "The Life- 
work of O'Curry." Among the other 
public lectures of the session are 
"Irish Dances," by J. G. O'Keeffe; 
"Irish Music," by Fr. Brennan, pro- 
pagandist lectures by Fr. Dlnneen, Dr. 
Hyde, Dr. Coffey and weekly histori- 
cal lectures by the branch students. 

The Keating Annual Concert iCuinn 
Cheoil na Samhna) was as Banba puts 
it, "a feast of the native essence of 
Irish social life such as Dublin has 
n )t been tr< ated to lior long ages." 
A.mong lis features was a reprtsenta- 
tion of Fr. Dinneen's drama 'An Tobar 
Draoidheachta," which had previously 
been produced and enthusiastically re- 
ceived both in Tralee and Killarney. 



Later the Keating Hurlers, who have 
been winning an unbroken series of 
victories on the hurling field, held a 
smoking concert on a more than usual- 
ly ambitious scale. Being hurlers, not 
hypocrites, they provided ana parcook 
moderately — most moderately indeed— 
of refreshments other than roda and 
oranges. This Is the testimony of an 
eye-witness of their evening's enter- 
tainment. Some of the critics have In 
their llp-antlpathy to bung-taken um- 
brage at tnls feature of the concert. 
Critics are of course legitimate If not. 
necessary members of society. But 
particular critics might have the f euse 
to realise that hurlers of the intelle»^- 
ual and physical calibre of the ••K(at- 
ings" are well able to look aft?r them* 
.selves, and can moreover afford to re- 
gard criticism offered In a rash and 
carping spirit as officiousness. The 
candid hurler will not deny being suti 
ject to the common weakness of en- 
joying limited stimulants of some 
form or other periodically. The hur- 
ler who will not admit this weakness 



or a qualified sympathy with it is a 
hypocrite. 



The scope and character of the 
Christmas number of Banba, Just re- 
ceived. Justify the departure made in 
the pioneer Illustrated Gaelic maga- 
zine. Henceforward it is to "be pub- 
lished monthly, and four pages, or 
one-seventh of its entire space, will 
be devoted to critical notes in English. 
As an Ideal, the new Banba may seem 
inferior somewhat to the first volume» 
but as a weapon to be used with effect 
in a nation's struggle for existence it 
must certainly be far more efficacious 
In Its altered form. The possibility of 
producing an illustrated magazine ex- 
clusively in Irish has been amply dem- 
onstrated by the success which attend- 
ed the first volume, and it therefore 
becomes the right of the governing 
body of the organization, admirably 
equipped as it now Is, to produce and 
conduct a Journal of such an exclusive 
character. 



Nowhere outside of Dublin has the 
Gaelic League been embraced so ear- 
nestly as In the County Wexford where 
It owes Its inception and growth main- 
ly to the magnetism of Mr. Michael 
O'Sullivan. Already the county com- 
mittee have secured two traveling 
teachers, and. Judging by the unprece- 
dented success of the great Feis held 
recently in Ennlcorthy, which by the 
way, is also the cradle of the Antl- 
Treatlng League, the Wexfordmen of 
to-day seem determined to fight as 
earnestly in the language and indus- 
trial revival as did their ancestors in 
defence of their homes in '98. Gaelic 
Leaguers everywhere will be pleased 
to learn that Mr. O'Sullivan has de- 
cldtid to place himself in the custody 
of a fair guardian early In the new 
year. Those who know how unsel- 
fishly Micheal has toiled will pray that 
the future sharer of his fortunes may 
prevail on him to abate Ms ardour in 
the language cause for a time at least 
He has triply done giant work and Is 
well entitled to a holiday. **8aoghai 
fada yo raihh ag an lanamha i bh^ 
fochair a chcile, " /^^^ T 

Digitized by V3OOQIC 



January, Í903. 



THE GAEL, 



29 







Many of the Leinster counties 
are tolerably well organized, notably 
Meath» Louth, Wicklow, Klldare and 
Longford. But Garlow, Westmeath 
and nidh nach ianffnaoh, the King's and 
Queen's counties are yet In a very 
backward way. The difficulty of pro- 
viding teachers for the non-Irish 
speaking districts is already giving 
the League serious concern. If the 
present demand for extern and travel- 
ing teachers continue, a couple of years 
hence will find most of the young men 
of the country drawn deeply into the 
language movement, and the political 
leaders will, as a consequence, find 
themselves confronted by a very seri- 
ous problem. 



Sligo and Leitrim are yet very far be- 
hind. And even Roscommon, In spite 
of the keen light radiating irom Ratra 
is anything but ardent 



Mr. John Hogan, Fr. O'Callaghan 
and Dr. Henry have been co-opted on 
the Gaelic League Executive. This 
will be welcome news to everybody, 
j>articularly the co-option of Dr. Henry 
who, though resident in London, has 
taken more than a mere ordinary in- 
terest in the organization of Gonnacht. 
Bvery step calculated to rouse and 
quicken the West is to be encouraged. 
Qalway has of course been compara- 
tively active from the onset, and Mayo 
has now become quite militant. But 



The Dublin Pipers' Club concert, 
held on December 13th, was among the 
most successful concerts of the present 
session. To the tireless energy of Mr. 
E. T. Kent is it especially due that the 
Piobairidhe are, at length, in such a 
very promising posiaon. 

The subject of discussion at a recent 
meeting of the Dublin Grocers' Debat- 
ing Society was: Whether is Douglass 
Hyde or John E. Redmond the better 
Irishman? The result has not trans- 
pired. But rumor says that Mr. Hea- 
ver, who comes from the Ratra neigh- 
borhood, urged the "prior claims" of 
Mr. Redmond very successfully. 



Pr. Dinneen's Irish Dictionary is not 
likely to be ready for six months. 



In the Central Branch of the League 
(Dublin) a number of Irish plays, not- 
ably '*Aodh 0'A*ci/i," by Mr. P. J. 
O'Shea, are being earnestly rehearsed. 



With Gaelic writers Cork and Kerry 
are now well in harness. Kerry has, 



to an even greater degree than Cork, 
contributed itinerary workers to the 
Gaelic League. It has given P. J. 
O'Shea, Dermot Foley and M. J. Hus- 
sey to Belfast; Fr. Dinneen, Denis 
Lynch, Dr. Coffey, Domhnall O'Connor, 
and Patrick O'Shea to Dublin; Michael 
O'Sullivan to Wexford; J. J. Doyle to. 
Derry; Mrs. O'Keane, Pr. O'Sullivan, 
and Fionan MacCollum to London. It 
has sent Michael C. O'Shea and P. J. 
O'Daly to Boston; J. P. O'Neill to Tor- 
onta; Michael O'Reilly to New York; 
in fact, to detail the work done by the 
children of "the kingdom" would be 
to relate half the history of the lan- 
guage movement 

The Olreachtas Syllabus for 1903 is 
out. This time the National Festival 
will be on a more ambitious scale than 
ever, and must, from its character, en- 
tail double the expense of the last 
Oirvachtn/i, It is only the very few who 
have any conception of the drudgery 
.and worry attending such a festival, 
and it is only because of the systematic 
handling of its complicated details by 
Mr. James Casey, the genial secretary, 
that everything connected with it has 
hitherto passed off so very satisfactor- 
ily. Everybody in a position to re- 
spond to the Olreachtaa appeal should 
do so cheerfully! and promptly. 
Digitized by v 



30 



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January» J903. 



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IN the latest issue of the "Zeltschrift 
fur Celtische Philologle." Dr. Whit- 
ley Stokes, the distinguished Celtic 
savant, roundly excoriates Dr. Robert 
Atkinson, of Trinity College, Dublin, 
for his lack of scholarship, so far as 
Irish is concerned, displayed in the re- 
cent volumes of the Brehon Laws, edit- 
ed by him. Dr. Stokes fills several 
pages of the "Zeitschrift" with in- 
stances of Atkinson's lack of Irish 
scholarship. He cites hundreds and 
hundreds of blunders and mistakes 
wherein he is entirely at fault, and 
shows that he is far behind Continen- 
tal scholars in the latest discoveries of 
philology. 

This is not the first time that Dr. 
Stokes has had to administer a like re- 
buke to this pseudo Irish scholar, nor 
is Dr. Stokes alone in this respect, it 
is now about four years since the Rev. 
Peter O'Leary, of Castlelyons, proved 
most conclusively that Dr. Atkinson 
in his edition of 'Tri Bior Q?Moite an 
Bhais** did not know the use of the 
verb "to be," in Irish. 

Prof. Atkinson has the useful talent 
of forcing himself into positions for 
which the world now knows he is 
totally unfitted. From being a pro- 
fessor of Sanskrit and Comparative 
Philology in Trinity College he worked 
himself into the good graces of the 
Council of the Royal Irish Academy, 
and last year was elected president of 
that body. From this he had only to 
appoint himself "Todd professor of 



Celtic" to that institution at a salary 
of £100 per year. He has also fiUea 
the office of editor of "The Irish MSS. 
Series" to the Academy. 

He has for nearly a quarter of a cen- 
tury drawn the sum of £300 per year 
from the government for the compila- 
tion of a complete Irish Thesaurus of 
which he has as yet only reached the 
letter "G" in manuscript. He has for 
over fifteen years held the office of edi- 
tor of the Brehon Laws to the Brehon 
Law Commission, which is also under 
the supervision of the Royal Irish Aca- 
I demy, of which he is president How 
' many other sinecures Prof. Atkinson 
fills in and around the garrison strong- 
hold we do not know, but we have 
known for a long time that Dr. Atkin- 
son, like Dr. O'Hickey, has had a repu- 
tation for Irish scholarship and learn- 
ing which he never earned. We know 
that when he promised to trans- 
late Keating's "Tri Bior Ohaoite an 
Bhais" he made it with the hope that 
poor old Mr. Fleming would not be 
called so soon to his eternal reward. 
Mr. Fleming is gone and the "Three 
Shafts of Death" is still untranslated 
after a lapse of twelve years. 

Prof. Atkinson will be remembered 
as the man who appeared before the 
Commissioners of National Education 
in Ireland a few years ago and declar- 
ed that our old Irish literature, when 
not religious, was either silly or inde- 
cent This is the man who in con- 
junction with Prof. John Pentland 
MahafTy, also of Trinity College, de- 
nounced the Gaelic League and the 
Gaelic revival movement This is the 



man who by his public denunciation of 
the Irish language has drawn down up- 
on himself the public condemnation of 
Profs. Zimmer, Kuno Meyer, and other 
great Continental Celticists, as well as 
Dr. Douglas Hyde, Father O'Leary and 
others. 

The Council of the Royal Irish Aca- 
demy is composed of men representing 
the highest types of scholarship and 
learning. Ripe and profound Irish 
scholars like Stokes, Meyer, Standish 
Hayes O'Grady, Dr. Edmund Hogan,. 
Dr. MacCarthy and others are com- 
paratively numerous. 

Why they have not discovered and 
exposed the ignorance and incompe- 
tence of Prof. Atkinson long before 
this is a mystery to all. How loni^ 
they are going to tolerate him, now 
that the deception has been discovered» 
Is a question for the present It is 
plain to all that he is a clog on the 
wheels of progress and must be cast 
asidj. 

The world asks, aye demands that 
the beauties of our old Irish sagas be 
given publicity and placed within the 
reachof all. Dr. Atkinson is an ob- 
stacle in the way, therefore he must 
be brushed aside. Recently he refused 
to permit even a catalogue of the Irish 
Manuscripts in Trinity College and 
the Royal Irish Academy to be com- 
piled, although the British Museum, 
thanks to the efforts of Standish Hayes 
O'Grady, has now a complete catalogue 
of the collections of Irish MSS. pre- 
served within its walls. 

Before the learned world Prot At- 
kinson now stands condemned as a 
man devoid of literary taste and lack- 
ing appreciation of the value and beau- 
ties of our ancient literature. 




AGGRESSIVE — INDEPENDENT — OUTSPOKEN. 
IRELAND'S MOST REPRESENTATIVE PAPER. 



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life. It advocates the restoration of the Irish language. One of its features is an 
article in Irish every week." 

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Canada, or Mexico one year for 8s. 8d. — shorter periods in proportion. 
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THE GAEL. 



31 



J. M. COLLINS, High-Class TAILOR. 

Large Selection of IRISH TWEED SUITS, from 37/6 to 55/- 
CLERICAL TAXLORIN6 A SPEdALTT. 

'"c.*.^;S::/^22 PATERNOSTER ROW. LONDON E.C.Í^'cSíí^:^. 

Carriage Paid to the United SUtes. 



THB Christmas numbers of the 
Irish newspapers and magazines 
are now arriving by every mail 
and show a pronounced advance both 
in literary and artistic merit over those 
of former years. Where all are so 
commendable it is difficult to make 
■election. 

"A Celtic Christmas'* is the title 
given to the Christmas issue of "The 
Irish Homestead." It is a most inter- 
esting number filled with well selected 
contributions from the best Irish 
writers, and accompanied by a special 
art supplement "the Spirit of the Daf- 
todll" by "A. B." 

The Christmas number of the "Dub- 
lin Weekly Independent" makes its ap- 
pearance expanded to forty pages and 
enclosed in an attractive cover. Among 
the many in teresting features are 
'The Sons of Tuireann/' by Seamus 
MacManus; "Footprints on the' Sand/' 
by M. A. Manning; "A Weird Atone- 
ment," by P. J. McDonnell, etc The 
literary matter is genuinely and cor- 
rectly Irish in tone and sentiment and 
should be widely read. _^It retails for 
ten cents in this country. 

The Christmas number of the Dublin 
"Weekly Freeman" is bigger, better, 
and more interesting than ever. Among 
the many items that go to make up the 
contents we notice "At the Door of 
Death/', by Alice Furlong; "The Lazy 
Bush/' by Seamus MacManus; "In the 
Glare of the Fire," by Mary Fltzpat- 
rick Sullivan; "The Risks and Dangers 
of Emigration/' by T. C. Russell; "The 
Nativity," a play in Gaelic by Dr. 
Douglas Hyde; "The Man in the 
Haunted Ruins," by Sarah J. Boyers, 
etc. The price in the United States is 
15 cents per copy. 

The Christmas number of the 
"Anglo-Celt/' published at Cavan, is 
one of the brightest and most readable 
Christmas publications issued outside 
of Dublin. It is full of interesting 
reading, and contains a number of 
stories of a seasonable and fascinating 
character. It is thoroughly Irish In 
every respect and deserves encourage- 
ment. 



The Christmas number of "Ireland 
Illustrated" contains twelve additional 
pages, but it is published at the usual 
price— sixpence. No fewer than eight 
pages of this issue are given over to a 
finely-illustrated account of the Irish 
pilgrimage to Home. In connection 
with recent social events in Ireland a 
number of beautiful pictures are given. 
It is published by Seely, Bryers & 
Walker, Dublin. 

The Christmas "An Claldheamh 
Soluis" contains over forty-two col- 
umns of reading matter in Irish, in- 
cluding articles oy such well-known 
writers as Father O'Leary, Mr. Mc- 
Sweeney ("Cu Uladh"), Mr. Ward 
("Cois Fhairrge"), and Mr. C. Des- 
mond, and a charming Irish love song 
by Dr. Douglas Hyde. A writer from 
California contributes an article on the 
best means of keeping the young peo- 
ple of Ireland from emigrating. It is 
a double number. The price is two- 
pence. 



Not Appointed* 

WB learn through our San EYan- 
cisco correspondent that a 
number of politicians in that 
city have petitioned Governor Gage of 
California to appoint Father Torke a 
Regent of the State University in suc- 
cession to the late General Barnes. 

So sure were they of his appointment 
that they gave the story to the "Bul- 
letin" which printed it, only to discover 
next day that it was not true. The 
Governor had only "promised" to con- 
sider his application. The politicians 
say his appointment will be a "vindica- 
tion." Evidently they consider he 
needs a vindication or they would not 
endeavor to secure it. Politicians have 
a lively sense of favors to come. They 
never work for nothing. 



A PRINTING company has been 
formed in Dublin for the pur- 
pose of taking over the es- 
tablishment which issues An Claid- 
lieamh Soluis and The Qaelio Journal. 

The company is formed entirely of 
staunch Gaelic Leaguers such as Dr. 
Douglas Hyde, Dr. Sinclair Boyd, P. T. 
MacGinley, Seamus MacManus, etc. 
They hope to develop an extensive 
Gaelic printing business and an Eng- 
lish one also. 



My Little Norccn Sweet* 

Tho' proud may be the dames and fair 

That graoe the Saxon court; 
And great the tall ships anchored thert 

In many a noble port. 
Yet were they laden deep with gold 

And priceless jewels complete 
Far dearer than them all I'd hold 

One little colleen sweet. 
My fair Noreen, my gay stoirin. 

My little Noreen sweet 

A patriot's heart beats In her breast 

She loves old Ireland well— 
Tet, too, for me her love's confess'd 

How from her lips it fell. 
Then what care I for wealth or fam« 

They're but at best deceit 
Since happiness unto me came 

With a colleen fair and sweel 
My fond Noreen, my loved stoirin» 

My little Noreen sweet 

SLIEVB MARGT. 



THB island of Tiree on the west 
coast of Scotland, near MuU, 
owned by the Duke of Argyll, 
has recently been put up for. sale aX 
aucytion and withdrawn because there 
were no bidders. 

The island is noted for Us salubri- 
ous climate and magnificent shooting, 
and has been in jthe possession of the 
Campbell», of Argyll, for centuries. 
It Is less than twenty-five miles from 
the Isle of Saints, lona, or I ColmciKe, 
the centre of all the finest Early Chris- 
tian traditions of the Hebrides. 

The eloquent auctioneer described 
ft as a freehold domain known as ths 
"granary" and "fiower" of the Hebri- 
des, reached by frequent steamers 
from Oban and Glasgow, and compris- 
ing an area of 21,741 acres. The 
population Us 2,500. The gross rental 
is about £4,600 per annum. A great 
feature of the property is the vast 
body of white, pink and green marble, 
of which the island is largely com- 
posed. The snipe shociing Is the 
finest in Europe. At the outset the 
auctioneer suggested £100,000, and 
afterwards asked £90,000, £80,000 and 
£50,000. Asi no bids were forthcfming 
he withdrew the propert^QQlC 



32 



THE GAEL. 



January, Í903, 



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BarpB in the National • ol lection of Antlquitleit. 
Played with succeNi at the recent Feif» < e 11 and 
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A METEORITE weighing more 
than nine pounds fell near tne 
village of Crumlin (about ten 
miles to the west of Belfast, on the 
morning of October 13th, and, thanks 
to Mr. L. Fletcher, F. R. S., it Is now 
in the Natural History Museum at 
South Kensington, London. 

It fell in a cornfield on Crosshili 
Farm, which is under cultivation by 
Mr. Walker, after explouing with a 
loud noise xike that of the bursting of 
a boiler, and buried itself to a depth of 
one and a half feet In the ground. 

Mr. Fletcher states uiat it is the 
largest stone which has been seen to 
fall from the sky in the British Islands 
for eighty-nine years, and is larger 
than any which had fallen in England 
since the year 1795. 



IS it not a deplorable thing that in 
most of our country towns and vil- 
lages there is nothing to quicken 
the intelligence, no mental food of any 
kind? British periodicals of an infer 
ior class, written for and to the stand- 
ard of the minds of Britishers, are al- 
most the only things we have. 

Foreigners visiting Ireland again and 
again deplore the genius that is run- 
ning wild and waste in this country. 
Travelers also say that the peasantry 
of Ireland are amongst the keenest and 
most intellectual in the world. This is 
no exaggeration, it is no blowing of 
our own trumpet; it is the simple 
truth. How sad it is that there is so 
little real education in our midst;- 
nothing to foster that wasted genius, 
nothing to guide and control that keen 
intellect. We all in the country seem 
like one who has lost his health, and 
finding that he possesses no hold upon 
life, lets everything run into ruin. — 
Daily Indepenaent, Dublin. 



Instruction in 6Klic. 

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coniAtin tiA sstifOeAiin 
SAeuitge. 

TtlsD ttxts Society, 

Established for the publication of Irish Texts, 
with English Translations, Notes and Glos- 
saries. 

3PTJBi:-ia-A.XI025TS, 
Vol. I.— "siolld 4^n fiugA" t "eA6- 
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Two i6th and 17th century Romances, Ed- 
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1899). 

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sued 1899). 

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Vol. IV.— •« poRAS peA&A Ail éinmn," 
or Geoffrey Keating' s " History of Ire- 
land." Edited by David Comvn, M. R. 
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Mac Neill, B. A. (Part I. will form the 
Society's Vol. for 190a). 
The annual subscription of 7^. 6d. (Amer* 
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Being a collection of Poems and Ballads, by th« 

REV. J AS. B. DQLLARD (Sliay-na-mo.i) 

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The Soughs of Ireland. (The Royal 
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▲ CHILD'S HISTORY OF IRELAND 
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BANDON.—The History of Bandon and 
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IRISH FIRESIDE STORIES, TALKS 
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LEGENDS AND FAIRY TALES OF 
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LIFE OF JOHN MITCHEL. By William 
Dillon. With an introduction by John 
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That American GirL 



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CHAPTER I. 



.OULD on tight. Miss! We'll 
be there In a jiffy!" bawled 
Larry Corcoran. 

Miss Wentworth did 

'not answer. Her head 

was bent low to avoid 

the wind and rain that 

swept along in great 

; gusts/ and she was in- 

* tent on retaining a seat 
, on the swaying jaunt- 

• ing-car. But notwith- 
standing the discom- 

' fort of the situation, this drive 
in the darkness through a 
strange country delighted her 
adventurous spirit 

She was an American girl from the 
wild and woolly West, and had crossed 
the Atlantic in her capacity as corre- 
spondent for the "New York Trum- 
peter." It was just three weeks since 




she landed in Queenstown. Within 
that time she had visited many places 
in search of material for articles on 
home government and the vexed ques- 
tion of landlord versus tenant. Inci- 
dentally, she had done considerable 
damage to susceptible Irish hearts. 
And now she had come to Midleton, 
with letters of introduction to Mrs. 
Flood, the feminine autocrat of the 
town. But she counted without her 
host. When she arrived at "Rose Cot- 
tage" there were only the servants to 
receive her. They explained that **the 
misthress an' the young masther" had 
gone to Glounthane for the opening of 
the hunting season, and would not be 
home for several days. 

Now, aplomb was a natural attribute 
of Dorothy Wentworth, but for once it 
failed her. It was impossible to return 
until morning to the people in Cork, 
whose hospitality she had been enjoy- 
ing; it seemed equally impossible to 



forestall her welcome by invading the 
cottage in the absence of its owner. 

As she ruefully contemplated that 
portion of the landscape visible 
through the rain, Larry Corcoran, un- 
der whose tutelage she had come from 
the station, said persuasively: "Sup- 
posin' you let me dhrive you to Gloun- 
thane, Miss? It's only a thrfle of nine 
mile or so. Mrs. Flood an' all the qual- 
ity is visitin' at Castle Mona, an' shure 
the tayspoonful of mist won't hurt 
you!" 

Dorothy had heard much of the cas- 
tle, and the prospect of seeing it was 
alluring, but she questioned the pro- 
priety of descending uninvited on its 
inmates in this uncermonlous fashion. 

Her misgivings were set at rest by 
Mrs. Flood's housekeeper, who ex- 
claimed: "Ah, do go. Miss! Never fear 
but you'll get a welcome that'll warm 
the cockles of your heart The Dono- 
hoe family is wapr^f_the_rfaj ould 
Digitized by 



va^r^f the raal 

yXjOogie 



34 



THE GAEU 



Fcbruaiy, 1903* 



stock, an' the castle is open to rich an' 
poor, gentle an' simple. Of coorse if 
you'd rather stop here, I'll Bind afther 
herself, but then she'll miss the big 
fox-hunt to-morrow, an' that *ud be a 
pity!" 

"Thrue for ye!" chimed In Larry. 
"Come, Miss, jump up on me car an' 
we'll be there In two shakes of a lam's 
tail." 

It is easy to persuade one to do that 
which Is personally agreeable, espe- 
cially as she also had letters of intro- 
duction to the Donohoes of Castle 
Mona, so without further waste of 
words, Dorothy climbed on the outside 
car, and they drove off in state. 

The girl's arrival at the castle creat- 
ed a sensation. Mr. and Mrs. Donohoe 
disengaged themselves from a gay 
group and came forward to give cour- 
teous welcome to the stranger within 
their gates. The situation was soon 
made clear, and she was gracefully and 
hospitably placed on the footing of 
honored guest. 

During the hunting season, which 
commenced In October and ended in 
March, there was plenty of life and 
movement In Glounthane, but for the 
balance of the year it was very dull, 
and at all times the advent of a strang- 
er was hailed with delight. Then, too. 
Dorothy was an Interesting and un- 
usual type — a fact evidenced in her 
face, bearing and even In the cut of 
her garments, besides she bore letters 
of Introduction from their good friends 
in the States. 

The majority of women would look 
wretched and bedraggled after driving 
through a rain-storm in the teeth of a 
gale, but she was radiant. Her sunny 
hair, from which an ocean of "mist" 
could not extract the flufflness, was 
crowned by a grey felt sombrero, fan- 
tastically caught up at the side with a 
jewelled pin, and a cloak of cadet blue 
water-proof material enveloped her 
from throat to feet 

While she was being presented to 
Mrs. Flood that lady was joined by her 
son, otherwise known as "Masther 
Paul." He made no effort to conceal 
his admiration for Dorothy, and when 
she flashed a glance at him from eyes 
that In color resembled blue malachite, 
he promptly succumbed to their witch- 
ery. 

Presently she was carried off to one 
of the guest-chambers, where she 
changed her travelling costume for a 
charming Empire gown, and then went 
downstairs again. 

She stood for a moment at the door 










DOROTHY WAS AN INTERESTING TYPE. 



of the drawing-room, thereby discov- 
ering that the adage, "listeners hear 
no good of themselves," is sometimes 
a fallacy. 

Paul Flood was stationed within a 
few yards of her, talking to Mr. Dono- 
hoe. 

"Looks like an empress," he was 
saying with a touch of scorn. "Poor 
man, there's not an empress alive could 
hold a candle to her! If you said a 
Grecian goddess I might agree. I won- 
der If all American girls are oh!" 

He stopped In dire confusion as a 
slight movement from the doorway be- 
trayed her presence. 

She advanced slowly to the center of 
the room where her hostess was chat- 
ting with a bevy of girls. 

A sudden silence fell upon the party. 
All eyes were riveted on the young 
American. And In truth she was well 
worth looking at. She might have 
stepped out of a picture in her quaint 
gown of palest green with its broad 
sash knotted under her arms. Her 
face was devoid of color, but that 
creamy pallor like a magnolia leaf had 



a beauty all its own. There was a 
touch of hardness about the drooping 
corners of her mouth, and instinctive- 
ly one knew that she had at some 
time or other traversed the thorny 
paths that wind through the Garden 
of Gethsemani, and Qne guessed, also, 
that she had borne her suffering In 
proud silence. 

At this moment she seemed abso- 
lutely unconscious of the admiration 
that was being divided impartially be- 
tween her striking beauty and 
aesthetic garb, ^ndeed, she had long 
sln«e grown accustomed to the furor 
that Invariably followed her appear- 
ance In public. 

But the guests at Castle Mona were 
too well-bred to continue staring at 
the stranger, and the Interrupted hum 
of conversation was speedily resumed. 

The party was a large one. It con- 
sisted of representatives of prominent 
hunt clubs, invited by Mr. Donohoe to 
attend the opening meet of the season 
with the "Duhallows," of which he was 
master, and embraced that portion of 
the feminine contingent among the 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



February» J903. 



THE GAEL. 



35 



county families who usually graced 
the hunting-field. 

E>v^eryone looked forward exoitedly 
to the great event The "Duhallows," 
one of the oldest and steadiest packs 
of fox-hounds in Ireland, always af- 
forded good sport, and Mr. Donohoe 
was the most popular master of the 
hounds in the entire south. 

Dorothy enjoy^ the animated chat- 
ter, and encouraged the men to talk 
about the many spirited runs in which 
they had participated. Paul Flood, 
who hovered around her with moth- 
like persistency, succeeded in monopo- 
lizing her attention for awhile, but 
presently was dislodged by Mr. Dono- 
hoe, who said good-humoredly: "Run 
away, little boy— it's my turn now. 
Miss Wentworth, do you ride? If 
so I can offer you a mount to-mor- 
row." 

Did she ride? As she smiled a de- 
mure affirmative, a vision rose before 
her mind's eye of madcap races over 
level plains in that far western home; 
of quieter rides in winding paths with 
one whom she had fondly hoped would 
be close beside her all through life's 
swift run; and of still another ride 
under the glare of gaslights, with the 
blare of trumpets sounding in her ears, 
and tier above tier of curious faces 
turned towards her— faces that were 
all blotted out when there appeared 
among them one dear, familiar visage 
with a cruelly unfamiliar sternness 

upon it, and 

Her wandering thoughts were check- 
ed by Mr. Donohoe's plea for "an 
American song." Mechanically she ac- 
cepted his arm and went to the piano, 
closely followed by Paul, who, mis- 
guided youth, was proving in his own 
person that there did exist such a cas- 
ualty as falling in love at first sight 

She sang "Maryland, My Maryland" 
and "Away Down South in Dixie," and 
when the delighted audience clamored 
for just one more, she essayed a negro 
melody, sweet and plaintive, but half 
way through broke down and hurried- 
ly left the piano. No one but Paul saw 
her lips quiver, or the tears that for a 
second gleamed on her lashes. He 
cleverly screened her from observa- 
tion, and was rewarded by a grateful 
glance that made his heart beat 
wildly. 

Poor Paul! If only he had known 
what memories were evoked by that 
song! If ♦ ♦ " Ah well, it would 
never do if the thoughts and remem- 
brances that we hide in the deepest 
recesses of our hearts, were as a print- 



ed page before alien eyes! 

When Dorothy reached her room she 
opened the window and leaned out 
The rain had ceased, and the moon 
was struggling to pierce the scudding 
clouds. Ilie trees were whispering 
mysteriously. In the distance a belt 
of water shimmered in the uncertain 
light 

She was still quivering with emotion 
called forth by the song he used to sing 
with her in the old days, and almost 
unconsciously a passionate cry escaped 
her: "Oh my love, my love, come back 
to me!" 

As the words died into a sobbing 
whisper, she heard the sound of 
horse' hoofs clattering up the avenue. 
Her arms dropped to her side, and 
she stood in an attitude of strained 
attention. Who could be approaching 
the. castle at this unseemly hour? And 
oh, what meant the rapturous sensa- 
tion that was stealing over her, be- 
numbing her heart with its very in- 
tensity! Where and when had she ex- 
perienced it before? 

Ah yes, she remembered! In the 
dear old days when he was near, and 
even before he came into sight, love's 
telepathic power conveyed to her the 
knowledge of his presence, and she 
used to thrill, even as now, in the 
thought that his arms would soon en- 
fold her. 

And this was the land of miracles 
and fairy-lore! Perhaps the tiny, red- 
capped folk who danced all night on 
grassy knolls, would be kind to her. 
Perhaps they would bring her lover 

back! Perhaps 

She shook off the fantastic fancies 
and went to bed, but for hours she 
could not sleep. Again and again her 
thoughts reverted to the man whom 
she had loved with all the strength of 
an emotional nature. 

She remembered how happy and 
hopeful they had been; how they had 
planned the future, and rejoiced like 
two light-hearted children m their 
youth and mutual love. And then, 
without any preliminary warning, a 
blow had fallen upon her, producing at 
first a sense of blankness and dull pain 
which gradually became unbearable 
torture as she began to realize that she 
had been deserted, slighted, her love 
fiung back at her as a worthless gift 
But she had made no moan, save deep 
down in her own proud heart, and 
none knew of the tempests that now 
and then shook her when some trifie, 
as that half-forgotten song, brought 
back an echo of the past 




CHAPTER II. 

HE next morning was an 
ideal one for hunting. 
The beneficent weather- 
clerk had provided the 
p r o V e r blal "southerly 
wind and cloudy sky," 
and the master of the 
>h o u n d s was beaming 
with Joyous anticipation 
When Dorothy came to 
the breakfast table, at- 
tired in a riding-habit 
furnished by her hostess,. 
Paul Flood asked her to 
come with him to inspect 
the horses. 

As they strolled off to^ 

gether she inquired if he, 

too, had heard the clatter 

* - of hoofs resounding 

through the grounds while night and 

dawn were blending. 

His bright face clouded over as he 
answered: "Oh yes, that was a chum 
of mine returning after a long hard 
ride. He came to my room for a smoke 
and chat I used to play Damon to his 
Pythias, but he doesn't care so much 
for me now, or indeed for anyone. He 
went to America a couple of years ago, 
and came back so changed that his 
nearest friends hardly recognized him." 
"How strange! What happened? Did 
we do anything very dreadful to him 
over yonder?" 

"Well, there was a woman at the 
bottom of it. There generally is, you 
know. Didn't some fellow once say 
that women were at the root of all 
evil?" 

"Oh, yes, Mr. Flood! Don't allow 
yourself to grow cynical. You are too 
nice a boy for that Keep your faith 
in us for always — if you can." 

It was very pleasant to listen to the 
soft voice with its tinge of pathos, and 
to gaze into the glorious eyes that 
were almost on a level with his own, 
but the word "boy" jarred on Paul. It 
is only the graybeards and men past 
life's prime that are gratified when 
this appellation is bestowed on them 
by a woman. Therefore his tone was 
a trifie cold as he continued: "Well, 
anyway, I'm awfully sorry for him. He 
was such a fine fellow, and now he's 
queer as queer can be. Some people 
think he's a bit cracked. The Dono- 
hoes' are very fond of him, and he 
often stays at tne castle. "Sometimes 
he gets a restless spell while here, and 
rides off without a word^ as he did 
three days ago. But 1m^ turns up^all 

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3é 



THE GAEL^ 



February^ I903* 



right again. Oh, I say, there's the 
chestnut that's destined to carry you 
to the meet. The brute's a goer, but 
his mouth is like iron, and he pulls—" 

She made an impatient gesture. 
"Yes, yes, but your friend! Somehow 
I'm greatly interested. Won't you tell 
me something more about him, Mr. 
Flood?" 

Before he could answer, two of the 
guests drew near. One was a lean, 
silent little man who rode like a cen- 
taur; the other a woman of the "icily 
regular" order, as haughty as she was 
beautiful. Hers was the only dissen- 
tient voice in the chorus of praise that 
went up from the inmates of Castle 
Hona when speaking of the American 
«irl. 

"I do not like her/' she had said 
positively, but when they asked: "Why 
not. Miss Brian?" she could only give 
the vague answer: "Oh, just because!" 
Dorothy, on the other hand, had been 
repelled by the mannerisms of the 
supercilious beauty. It was one of the 
natural antipathies that sometimes 
spring up between people without ap- 
parent rhyme or reason. 

Neither of them were aware that 
they each loved the same man. They 
were total strangers, yet so compli- 
cated is the web of fate that the ex- 
istence of the one had well-nigh 
changed the whole current of the 
other's life. 

The two passed on, and Paul began: 
*'It's deuced odd that you should want 
to hear my chum's history, for he was 
desperately interested when I spoke of 
you. Now isn't that a coincidence?" 

"My curiosity is at fever heat. 
Please gratify it" 

"Here goes then. He took a trip to 
New Yprk a few years ago and fell 
head over heels in love with a girl he 
met out there. I believe she was aw- 
fully clever and fascinating. Anyway, 
he wrote to his mother saying that he 
Intended to bring home a wife. She 
cut up rough about it You see he's an 
only son, and she had other views for 
him. She set ofl! hot foot for America, 
and he returned with her, minus the 
girl. Good old Tom! He has never 
been the same from that day to this. 
Now, Miss Wentworth, Vm afraid we 
must get back to the house. It will 
soon be time to start" 

"Walt a minute!" cried Dorothy ex- 
citedly, "that's only half the story. I 
must know the rest. Oh, I must!" 

Something in the agitated face ar- 
rested the surprised query that rose to 
bis lips, and he resumed soberly: 



"Perhaps I shouldn't speak of my 
friend'f trouble, but as you're so aw- 
fully eager to hear of it I'll tell you 
this much— he discovered through the 
merest accident that his betrothed was 
a circus rider or something equiva- 
lent" 

He paused and lOoked curiously into 
Dorothy's dilated eyes. 

"Qo on!" she panted. "Please go 
on!" 

"Well, it seems she rode twice a day 
on a mustang or bucking pony, or 
whatever style of beast the cowboys 
affect, and was queen of a troupe. It 
was an awful blow to the poor fellow. 
You see she deceived him right along. 
But I think he would have forgiven all 
that, only he found out she belonged 
body and soul to a circus-man, and— 
oh. Miss Wentworth, what's the mat- 
ter? Don't, I beg of you, don't laugh 
like that!" 

The peal of harsh, hysterical laugh- 
ter ceased abruptly, and she faltered. 
"A moment— give me a moment Don't 
speak to me— don't touch me!" 

He turned away and contemplated 
the tree tops. He was bewildered and 
somewhat alarmed. Presently he felt 
a light touch on his arm, and Dorothy 
said unsteadily: "Let me tell you 
something. I am the girl to whom he 
was engaged. Oh, don't look so shock- 
ed. Indeed, I'm not a circus-rider. It 
was all a mistake." 

Paul turned swiftly and grasped her 
hands. His face glowed with feeling 
as he said: "If you were a circus-rider 
ten times over it would make no dif- 
ference to me. I know that you're all 
that's sweet and womanly. I " 

She held up a warning finger and 
said gently: "Thank you, but say no 
more about me. Where's Tom — I mean 
Mr. Morton?" 

"In his room," he answered moodily. 
"He's tired out after his long ride and 
doesn't intend to get up at all to-day. 
Do you want tq see the brute? Are you 
going to make It up?" 

Her flashing eyes and scornful ex- 
pression answered him even before she 
said vehemently: "No, I despise him! 
He ran away from New York without 
making an attempt to see me. If you 
loved a woman, or pretended to love 
her, would you believe ill of her even 
under suspicious circumstances? Would 
you give her a chance to explain, or 
sneak out of the country and thus 
tacitly condemn her?" 

In this proud, disdainful woman who 
spoke with such biting contempt, no 
resemblance could be traced to the 



girl whose yearning cry tor her lost 
love had floated out Into the darkness. 
But if Eve's fair daughters were not 
inconsistent occasionally, that variety 
which is said to be the spice of life 
would be sadly missed. 

Paul Flood's impetuous answer to 
her question need not be recorded here. 
Suffice it to say that there flashed 
across her mind th% thought: "Tom Is 
very human. He would wince with 
jealous misery if I accepted the hom- 
age of his own familiar friend, even 
though he gave me up so lightly. Shall 
I make him suffer through this me- 
dium!" 

Perhaps the thought was an un- 
worthy one, but then there is a latent 
savagery in most of us which prompts 
the giving of blow for blow. The 
mightier our love the keener the pain 
that can be dealt us by the loved one. 
And Tom Morton had hurt her cruelly! 
Revenge was within her grasp. Would 
she take it? But no— a thousand times 
no. Her better self triumphed and the 
sweet kindliness of her repulse, bound 
Paul Flood to her for all time in 
strongest bonds of friendship. 

They sauntered back to the house 
and mingled with the other guests. It 
is a fact beyond dispute that the ma- 
jority of women have more finesse 
than the average man, which, after all, 
is another way of hinting that the sex 
feminine are bom actresses. At any 
rate, Paul looked very conscious, but 
nothing in Dorothy's appearance would 
lead people to suspect that she had 
just run the whole gamut of emotion. 

Her dainty boot rested lightly in Mr. 
Donohoe's hand for the fraction of a 
second, and as she sprang into the 
saddle with an ease acquired only by 
long practice, many glances were bent 
admiringly on her. 

She made a mighty effort to quiet the 
tumult in heart and brain, and con- 
centrate her attention on the pleasure 
of the moment, but it was no easy task 
to still those tempestuous memories. 
Her mind would persist in wandering 
back to the last time she had ridden, 
and to all the misery wrought by ber 
girlish prank. It happened thus: 

Phil Brooks, an old playmate and 
sweetheart, who had cast in his lot 
with a troupe of famous rough-riders» 
came to New York with his "show." 
He had been a wild youngster and had 
developed into a veritable scapegrace, 
but she still liked him as well as when 
he had fought her battles and given 
her the biggest bite of his apple. For 
the sake of auhi4ans syne f he went to 

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February, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



37 



Madison Square Garden on his opening 
night, and he took her behind the 
scenes. He was featured on the bills 
to do a superb riding act with "The 
Queen of the Cowboys," a professional 
horsewoman, but just before it was 
time to enter the arena, she sprained 
her ankle. 

He was in despair until an inspira- 
tion came to him, and clutching Dor- 
othy's arm he said pleadingly: "Dolly, 
dear, won't you help a fellow out? This 
specialty of mine is only the old trick 
I taught you long ago. You can go 
through it like a bird, and not a soul 
will know you. It will only take four 
minutes altogether, and think what a 
glorious lark 'twill be! Dolly, Btand 
by me in this— it means everything to 
me!" 

She was still in her teens, and the 
spirit of fun and comrade- 
ship was rife within her. 
She remembered, too, that 
all his family had disown- 
ed him because he had cast 
in his lot with this troupe, 
and she resolved to help 
him. She resigned herself 
to the hands of a dresser, 
and presently made her 
appearance in the ring be- 
side PhiL 

Their magnificent horse- 
manship brought down the 
house. As she wheeled 
back to bow her acknowl- 
edgments to the shouting 
crowd, she caught sight of 
Tom Morton in an arena box, hia face 
blanched with horror and rage. 

Next day she remained indoors, ex- 
pecting he would call to demand an 
explanation, but the hours wore on, 
another day dawned, and still anotlier, 
yet he made no sign. Then she sent 




him a note. It read: "Tom, dear, why 
don't you come to me? I want to con- 
fess and be forgiven." He did not 
come, and three days later she heard 
he had sailed for Ireland. 

These painful recollections were not 
dispelled until she reached the meet, 
where her attention was enchained by 
the animated beauty of the scene. 

Paul Flood availed himself of the 
first opportunity to draw rein beside 
her, and asked if he might give her a 
lead. 

At this moment the hounds gave 
tongue. When Doifothy heard that 
musical cry, followed by the hunts- 
man's "Talllho! Whoop! Gone away!" 
her heart beat exultantly. She gave ' 
the chestnut his head, and he darted in 
the wake of those scarlet-clad figures. 
What mattered it now that love lay 
bleeding! What cared she for the pain 
of other days! As she sped on, with 
the cool October wind wooing color to 
her cheeks and the lust of the chase 
in her heart, there was room for no 
thought save to keep up with the 
swiftly-moving cavalcade, to leap her 
horse over ditch and fence, and at all 
hazards to keep the panting hounds in 
sight! 

CHAPTER III. 

ALL this while Tom Morton paced 
his room, torn with conflicting 
emotions. The words spoken by 
Paul Flood still rang in his ears: "Her 
name is Miss Dorothy Wentworth, and 
by heaven, old chap, she's a stunner! 
It won't be my fault if she leaves Ire- 
land again!" 

She was here then! The same roof 

sheltered them! Flood was raving 

about her beauty. Damn the fellow! 

How dared he lift his eyes to Dorothy! 

Suddenly he groaned as he remem- 




Google 



38 



THE GAEL. 



Fcbruaiy, I903* 



bered that cursed night when he had 
seen her, all flushed and breathless, 
bowing right and left to the gaping 
throng. How it all came back to him! 

When she left the ring he had tried 
to force an entrance behind the scenes, 
but the Cereberus on guard waved him 
back. He could not bring himself to 
name Dorothy to this rough, tobacco- 
chewing clod, and he bunglingly ex- 
plained that he must see at once the 
girl who had just ridden off. 

The door-keeper, who was not aware 
of the substitution, laughed knowing- 
ly as he answered:* "Oh, you mean 
Phil Brooks' beauty— her as did that 
breakneck act! Why, you can see her 
any old time. She rides here twice a 
day, but if you're after her, I'd advise 
you to go slow, young feller. Brooks 
won't stand no poachin' on his pre- 
serves, as some of them mashers 
knows to their cost. Oh, she's a daisy, 
she is!" 

Tom slipped some money into his 
hand, put a few leading questions, then 
staggered away, dazed and heart- 
broken. 

He cast himself at his mother's feet, 
just as he used to do when seeking 
comfort in his boyish troubles, and 
poured out the whole story, then 
springing up vowed he would seek 
Dorothy and upbraid her with her 
baseness and perfidy. But stately Mrs. 
Morton, to whom vice meant vulgar* 
ity, and vulgarity the unpardonable 
sin, implored him not to go. She fear- 
ed lest the girl's beauty would lure 
him back. She had always looked for- 
ward to his marriage with Miss Brian, 
an heiress whose estate adjoined her 
own, and she had arrived in New York 
that very day in the hope of inducing 
him to return home with her without 
saying good-bye to "that American 
girl." 

She succeeded, as strong-willed wo- 
men are won't to do, and before he 
fully realized her plans she had him 
on board the Lucania. Then ho for 
Ireland and Miss Brian! 

Unhappy Tom! Day after day he 
paced the deck, looking back wistfully 
towards the shores where his heart 
remained. He still loved Dorothy, al- 
though he hated himself for doing so. 
But how can a strong, true man dis- 
entangle at a moment's notice the 
fibres of his heart which have wound 
themselves about a loving and deeply 
loved woman! 

Since his hurried departure from 
New York he had heard nothing of 
Dorothy until Paul Ford burst into 



his room and voiced ecstatic admira- 
tion of "the lovely Yankee." 

And now he took out her note, try- 
ing once more to extract a new mean- 
ing from its appealing simplicity. 

"I want to confess and be forgiven!" 
To "confess!" Ah, there was no need 
— he knew — he had heard! He had 
seen with his own eyes that which 
dashed to earth his belief in her. And 
yet, something within him, higher and 
truer than the evidence of his own 
senses, persistently cried out that she 
was innocent 

He remembered her almost childish 
gayety; her love of frolic and adven- 
ture; her independence of thought and 
deed; the Bohemlanism and uncon- 
ventionality begotten of her unfettered 
life on the plains. He remembered, 
also, the limpid purity of her mind and 
the girlishness that had been a delight 
to him, and his heart told him he had 
wronged^her. 

But still he knew little or nothing 
of her antecedents or daily life. He 
had been introduced to her at a liter- 
ary reception in New York, and the 
only member of her family he had ever 
met, was an elderly cousin with whom 
she lived in a fiat 

From others he had learned that she 
was a shining light in the newspaper 
world, and as their friendship pro- 
gressed she gave him to understand 
that he would never find her at home 
between noon and three o'clock, or 
after 7 P. M. This last had seemed a 
damaging confirmation when he heard 
that she rode twice a day in the ring. 

Many times he had been sorely 
tempted to return to New York, but 
there was always his mother's appeal 
to hold him back. He could not gratify 
her wish by marrying Miss Brian, but 
he could and did obey her behest in 
keeping the broad Atlantic between 
him and the girl who haunted his 
waking and sleeping thoughts. 

Now that she was actually within 
reach, his heart-hunger grew more in- 
tense. He felt he could no longer im- 
molate himself on the altar of filial 
duty. He must feast his eyes on the 
face that was still so dear to him, or 
go mad. 

She had gone to the hunt His 
bosom friend was in close attendance. 
Possibly they were riding side by side, 
as was his sole privilege in other days! 
Oh, those rides— how his heart ached 
as he thought of them! And had not 
Paul Flood vowed it would not be his 
fault if she left Ireland again! Con- 
ceited fool! Perhaps Dorothy's won- 




TOM CUT ACROSS COUNTRY. 

derful eyes were even now turned on 
him in all their brilliant beauty! And 
surely Paul was whispering soft noth- 
ings into her ear! Strange, it had 
never before occurred to him what a 
consummate puppy young Flood was! 

His restless misery grew too strong 
for him. Would he ride after them? 
Yes! No! And yet again, yes! 

But that sickening tale the old door- 
keeper had told him! He ground his 
teeth as he thought of it He longed 
to have his strong hands about the 
throat of the grinning mischief-maker. 
He hated him now, just as we always 
hate those who brush the scales from 
our eyes when we would prefer to re- 
main blind. 

He ran to the door, then drew back 
again. His mother! What would she 
say? Well, he could not help it He 
had sacrificed his own inclinations 
long enough. He had always been 
dutiful and patient although she made 
his life a burden by urging a union 
with Miss Brian. Ah! That was why 
she hurried him away from New York. 
He saw it all now! 

Dorothy, his dainty sweetheart! 
There was some mistake. Yes, he was 
sure of it Well« he would see her. 
Not another minute should be wasted. 
He would plead for forgiveness be- 
cause he had ever doubted her. She 
would listen. She had loved him well 

He rushed to the stables. All the 
horses were in the hunting-field ex- 
cept a vicious, partially broken colt 
who champed and stamped in the stall, 
rolling his eyes wickedly. 

The old groom protested roudly 
against the animal being ridden, and 
finally refused point blank to saddle 
him. 



Don't faU to proonre Mks. WiNSLowt SooTHnre 
Stbup for your Otilldrea whlU onttlog te«Ui II 
soothM th» ohUd, toftens th« gvm* aUay* all pain, 
caret wind eollo, and li tlaa beat remedy for 
dlarrboea . 



February, J903. 



THE GAEL 



39 



''The Angel Gabriel couldn't keep a 
sate on him, eir," he said almost tear- 
fully. "He's as fresh as paint He'd 
break yer neck an' hie own in the bar- 
gain, an' then the masther 'ud never 
forgive me. for he's worth his weight 
in goold,, let alone what Mrs. Morton 
'ud say if you came home to her as 
dead as a door nail!" 

Tom laughed grimly, and with his 
own hands prepared the colt for a 
swift run. 

Dandy did his best to dislodge this 
audacious rider, but finding it was no 
so, settled down to business right gal- 
lantly. 

Tom calculated that by cutting 
across country he would catch up with 
the hounds. Etery inch of the ground 
was familiar to him as he had hunted 
with the "Duhallows" for years. But 
in this instance his reckoning was at 
fault, and he was about to abandon all 
hope of finding the riders when the 
sight of a few straggling red-coats, be- 
smirched with mire, showed him that 
lie was on the right trail at last 

He dashed on, keeping the colt well 
In hand, and presently he saw in the 
distance a slight, graceful figure, rid- 
ing a big chestnut 

It was Dorothy! He could not be 
mistaken. He knew too well that lis- 
som form, and the poise of the shapely 
head. He bent his energies to the task 
of overtaking her, and the landscape 
fairly flew past 

The chestnut was doing his best, bat 
Dandy was more than a match for 
him, and inch by inch the pursuer 
sained upon the pursueft, until only 
half a field divided them. 

Then she turned. When she recog- 
nized Tom she swayed in the saddle, 
but recovering quickly, plied whip and 
spur, and forging ahead widened the 
distance between them. 

The panting fox that raced along 
with the pack of hounds in full cry at 
his heels, was not less frightened. The 
thought of seeing this man face to face 
unnerved her. She feared lest the 
meeting should resuscitate the love she 
had been at such pains to crush but 
which she well knew was only dor- 
mant. And she felt that her self- 
respect would suffer severely did she 
now allow the magic of his voice and 
the sorcery of his presence to blot out 
the memory of all she had endured 
because of him. 

The hounds were going at a killing 
pace, and the hunters lagged behind. 
Only a few minutes before she had 
given up all hope of being in at the 



death, but now she urged her horse to 
increased speed. 

She passed Paul Flood and he shout- 
ed to her to be careful, but she neither 
heeded nor paused in her headlong 
career. The chestnut bounded over 
ditches and gates under the deft guid- 
ance of her small hands. Her hat fell 
off; the pins were shaken out of her 
hair, and it streamed in the wind in 
all its sunny luxuriance. She might 
well have been mistaken for one of tue 
Valkyries speeding to Valhalla on her 
winged steed. 

The mettle of horse and rider was 
thoroughly aroused. A species of mad- 
ness seized her, and indeed we are all 
more or less mad in moments of in- 
tense excitement She would win this 
race or die! History must needs re- 
peat itself, and now she would run 
away from him! 

She glanced over her shoulder, and 
smiled triumphantly as she saw that 
Dandy was losing ground. 

Suddenly she heard the melody of 
the hounds who were fast closing in 
upon poor rejmard. In the same mo- 
ment her swift course was checked at 
the sight of a sunken fence some ten 
feet wide. She could see that there 
were points about it that would make 
the leap a dangerous one, but she put 
the chestnut at it, steadily, coolly, and 
he took it on the fiy. A sense of wild 
exultation swayed her. She rushed on, 
and soon found herself close to the 
hounds. She turned her eyes away as 
they leaped on the quivering fox and 
bore it to the ground. 

Mr. Donohoe hurried up and present- 
ed her with the brush, complimenting 
her highly on her clever riding. She 
hardly heard him. Her eyes shone, her 
cheeks fiamed, and she was half be- 
side herself with excitement 

In another minute some belated' rid- 
ers appeared on the scene, Paul Ford 
at their head. Dorothy noticed his 
pallor and marvelled at it He drew 
Mr. Donohoe aside. Then she heard the 
half-smothered exclamation, "Good 
Ood! Is it possible? Poor old Tom! 
Who will break it to his mother?" 

Quick as thought sue stepped be- 
tween the two men and grasping an 
arm of each, gasped: "What has hap- 
pened to Tom? Is he dead? Tell me 
at once. Mr. Flood, speak, I implore 
you!" 

W^hile Mr. Donohoe stared at her in 
amazement, Paul took her hands and 
said gently: "He came to grief while 
trying to top that devilish fence. I've 
sent a groom for the doctor. Now, 



Miss Wentworth, you must be brave! 
He is not dead— at least, I hope he is 
still alive, and I've come to take you to 
him." 

She went with him across the fields, 
silently, tearlessly, followed by the 
startled men. When they reached the 
spot where Tom Morton lay, she threw 
herself down beside the motionless 
figure, and brushing the hair from his 
blood-stained forehead, looked at him 
with all her heart In her eyes. But he 
could not see that loving glance; his 
ears were deaf to the voice that called 
him with such despairing passion. She 
forgot what he had made her suffer. 
She remembered only that she loved 
him. All the tenderness and infinite 
pity of her heart welled fortn at sight 
of this bruised and blood-stained man. 
Never had he been so dear to her as 
now. And sinking lower and lower 
until her head rested on his breast, she 
whispered: "Tom! Oh, my darling, 
don't die! I love you, Tom! Please 
don't die!" 

And Tom did not! 



Books in the House* 

DR. HUNTER, who edited the "En- 
cyclopaedic Dictionary," had so 
many books in his house that 
his landlord in Mecklenburg Street, 
London, took alarm lest the fioor 
should give way. This led to his leav- 
ing, and building a house for himself. 
But he was not so perplexed as Thomas 
Rawllnson, of whom we read he resid- 
ed in Gray's Inn, but in 1716, having 
filled his four rooms so completely 
with books that he was obliged to 
sleep in the passage, he was compelled 
to move. 

DENVIR^S 

Monthly Irish Library 

An Illustrated PHblioation on Original 
and Striking Lines. 

Irish History, Poetry, Biography, 

AND Literature. 

Bach Number consists of a complete 

Booklet by a popular writer 

Articles- Essays- Reviews-Sketches 

GAELIC PAGE 
BY eMlNBNT IRISH SCHOLARS, Etc, 



The following are the '' Books of the Month*' 
in the Numbers for igo2 : 

Jan. - ** Thomas Davis." By W. P. Ryan. 

Feb. - ** Ha«h O'Neill, the Great Ulster Chieftain.*' 

Mar. - ** Ireland's Appeal to America." Mich'lDavltt 

April- '* Irish Fairy Le8r«»nds and Mythical Stories." 

May - "John Boyle O'Reilly." By Wm. James Ryan. 

Jane - ** John Mitchell." By John Bannon. 

July - ** Art McMurrough." By Daniel Crllly. 

Au«r< ' ** Owen Roe O'Neill." By John Denvlr. 

Sept. - " Robert Emmet." By John Hand, 

Oct. • ** Daniel O'ConuelL" By Slleve Donard. 

Nov. - " Rescae of Kelly and Deasy." By I. R. B. 

Dec - " Dr. John O'Donovan." By Thos. Flannery. 
" 'Bodks of (he Month " for 1903: 

Jan. - "SMrsfleld." By John Hand. 

Feb.- "Brian Bom." By Daniel Orllly." 

Price, 5c. each, or 50c. per dozen. 



Address : THE GAEL, 140 Nassau St., 
Digitizggw YORK^OglC 



40 



THE GAEU 



February, I903* 




AN interesting literary event No one can have a 
greater claim to write understandingly con- 
cerning Mr. Yeats than the writer who has de- 
voted herself to clothing in modern literary speech 
the legends and tales which haunt the wave-acquaint- 
ed rocks of Gaelic Scotland: from no one, we may 
conceive, could appreciation he more valued by the 
poet himself. Fiona Macleod writes, of course, as an 
apostle of the Anglo-Celtic movement, which we know 
under various names. 

That is a strange and remarkable new development 
in Ireland, particularly the Ireland whose first liter- 
ary avatar was through such poets as Davis and his 
comrades, in patriotic ballads and the like, but it is 
the neglected Mangan who has triumphed after all; 
for assuredly the spirit of "Dark Rosaleen" comes 
nearer to that of the present school than does the 
spirit of Davis. / 

But the poetic standard-bearer of the movement Is 
certainly Mr. W. B. Yeats. Fiona Macleod is not 
wrong when she says, in the "North American Re- 
view," that even the contemners of the Anglo-Celtic 
school allow his position in literature. Her article is 
specially given to his later work, in which she recog- 
nizes the ''beginning of a new music and a new mo- 
tive." It is a finely written article— here and there a 
thought too remote for perfectly-expressed criticism, 
but that is a trait- inherent both in her subject and 
herself. 

There Is one quite lovely phrase, where she says of 
a certain passage in "The Shadowy Waters" (com- 
paring it with the preceding passage) that it is "the 
cold radiance of precious stones after the glow and 
flame of that little infinite trouble in the dark, the 
human heart" Mr. Yeats' latest poems do, as she 
says, display the dawning of a new motive; but of a 
new music we are not so sure. There are poems in 
the older volumes which seem to us to have all the 
quality of the latest ones. 

The new motive is the uncontrolled set of his poetry 
towards that mysticism to which it always, conscious- 
ly or unconsciously, tended. It has its dangers, which 
Fiona Macleod clearly sees and indicates. The great- 
est lies in his research of symbolism. For it is more - 
than a use of symbolism; we would go further than 
Fiona Macleod, and call it an actual abuse of symbol- 
ism. Symbolism is used (to our mind) where not only 
was its employment unneeded, but the meaning could 
more beautifully have been given without it This, 
however, is a temporary phase, we believe, which will 
rectify itself. 

In Mr. Yeats' discovery of a novel power (since 
symbolism is no less) he has come to love and use it 
for the mere delight in using it; as a young artist 
revels in technique for the sake of technique. The 
painter presently learns to handle technique severely 



as a means to an end; and the like sobering will come 
about In Mr. Yeats' handling of symbolism. Yet we 
cannot quite sign to Fiona Macleod's dictum that 
"the things of beauty and mystery are best sung, so 
that the least may understand." If it were always 
possible, then it were indeed best so. But the highest 
"things of beauty and mystery" cannot be sung so 
that they may be understanded of the least. Where, 
else, were the mjrstery? 

But in the bulk of Mr. Yeats' work, even of this 
latest work, there seems to us nothing bef ond the 
proper and beautiful indefiniteness of remote sugges- 
tion. Such is that exquisite poem which Fiona Mac- 
leod quotes: 

"Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths. 

En wrought with golden and silver light; 
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths 

Of night and light and the half-light; 
I would spread the cloths under your feet; 
But I, being i>oor, have only my dreams; 
I have spread my dreams under your feet, 
spiritual drama, ranging under no existing precedents. 
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." 
There is a poem by an older Irish writer, which ends 
with one fine line: 
"Dance light, for my heart it lies under your feet, 

love!" 
If Mr. Yeats ever saw the poem, then with the skill 
of a consummate artist he has ennobled the line Into 
a thing of perfect beaxity, which is rightfully his own. 

His highest work, like this poem, stirs echoes in the 
imagination which reverberate to tlie dimmest verges 
of consciousness. It is this unique power of subtly 
remote suggestion which makes him typically the poet 
of what we understand by Celtic spirituality. The 
ics, which are lost at last on the other side this life. 

Whether Fiona Macleod's final conjecture be cor- 
rect, that Mr. Yeats may yet work out a new and 
words seem to awaken a series of answering harmon- 
is another matter. To us. as to her, it seems impos- 
sible at present that his genius should fit the stage. 
He has declared his conviction that such a drama 
must revert to the Shakespearean stage, and shake off 
the trammels of scenery. Wagner's conception of a 
new drama went the other way, demanding the last 
perfection of scenery and mechanical device. Yet we 
strongly incline to it, that in this matter Mr. Yeats 
is right. Nothing would drag us to see "The Tem- 
pest' mounted with even Bayreuthlan completion. 
But is spirituality possible short of a Greek or lyric 
drama? And after all, Mr. Yeats' etherial gift seems 
to us to have no rightful connection with passion at 
all, save the clear passion of yearning for the infi- 
nitely far, and regret for the unknown, which is plain- 
tive in all his verse.— The Academy. 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



Fcbruaiy, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



OF THE 



CLAN uilliam; 

By P. G. Smytb, Chicago. 




41 



THE PASSING 



^HB opening scene in this 
history is laid on the 
quay in the Dano-Irlsh 
town ot Wexford on a 
Summer's day in 1176. 
Strongbow was dead and had 
been succeeded by his broth- 
er-in-law, Raymond the 
Fat, who was now the 
recognized head of the 
Anglo-Norman colony in Ireland. He 
had Just received a missive written by 
King Henry II. of England from Val- 
ognes in Normandy. It ran as follows: 

"I now eend to you, Ouillaume Fitz 
Adelm, my seneschal, whom I have en- 
trusted with the management and ar- 
rangement of aftairs in my stead and 
as my viceroy; wherefore I enjoin and 
command that you shall attend to him 
as to myself, and that you shall obey 
all his commands on my behalf, as you 
value my good will, and on the alle- 
giance which you owe unto me. I shall 
confirm his proceedings as if executed 
by myself, and all your transactions 
with him shall be ratified by me." 

Such was the royal missive, written 
by King Henry II. of England, from 



Valognes, in Normandy, which Ray- 
mond the Fat, brother-in-law of the 
late Earl Strongbow and his successor 
as head of the new Anglo-Norman col- 
ony in Ireland, perused one day in the 
Summer qf 1176 on the quay of the 
Dano-Irlsh town of Wexford. 

Raymond recognized In the bearer a 
previous acquaintance, about as fat as 
himself, large, florid, corpulent Will- 
iam Fitz Adelm de Burgo„ who six 
years before accompanied King Henry 
to Ireland. De Burgo gazed on Ray- 
mond and on the retinue of knights, 
glittering in ringed mail, with the 
crimson saltire or St Andrew's cross 
of the Geraldines blazoned on nearly 
every pointed shield and fluttering pen- 
non, and there and then, says a hostile 
account, vowed— with the typical Jeal- 
ousy of the Anglo-Norman flllbusters 
towards one another — ^to humble tne 
plumes and scatter the shields of that 
proud family. 

Much ado has been made of the an- 
tiquity and patriotism of the Fitzger- 
alds, especially since Davis belauded 
them to glowing excess In his splendid 
oft-quoted poem; but, discounting the 
story of descent from Aneas of Troy 
through the Oherardinl of Florence, 
with which some Ingenious seanachies 
complimented the progeny of Maurice, 
son of Gerald of Windsor and the in- 
famous Nesta, founder of the race in 
Ireland, the antiquity somewhat shriv- 
els, and, leaving out Lord Edward 
Fitzgerald and a few others, the 
patriotism is not very prominent Com- 
parison is, of course, odious, but It is 
about the most eftective way of gain- 
ing some idea of the antiquity of the 
Bourkes, once, under the auspices of 
the famous Red Earl, the most power- 
ful family in Ireland, and now one of 
the most numerous in Christendom. 

The Bourkes came originally from 
the imperial loins of Charlemagne. 

•Uilliam, the Irish of William or Gull- 
laume, pronounced "ul-yeem"— accent on 
second syllable. 



Baldwin II. of the House of Blois, 
grandson of Charles, flfth son of the 
great emperor, had a son John, who 
was warden or governor of his father's 
towns and was thence styled "de 
Bourg," or "of the towns." From John 
of the TownB comes this numerous 
surname of erratic orthography, vari- 
ously De Burgh, De Burgo, Bourke, 
Burke, and in Irish Burcaidhe or Bur- 
cagh. John's descendant, Harlowen de 
Burgo of Normandy, married Harlette, 
relict of 'Robert the Devil and mother 
of William the Conqueror; and third 
in desicent from Harlowen was Adelm, 
who married Agnes, daughter of King 
Louis VII. of France. Their son was 
the William Fitz Adelm de Burgo, who 
stepped ashore at Wexford with King 
Henry's credential letter in his hand. 

Stout William's thirty-one years' 
career In Ireland was a lurid one. The 
monk historian of the invasion, Gerald 
Barry of Cambridge (Strongbow's sec- 
retary), describes De Burgo, whom he 
heartily disliked, with a pen of gall; a 
gross and sensual man of large and 
powerful frame; a crafty, wily man, 
smooth and sweet-tongued even to his 
foes and concealing enmity under a 
bland face; a man corruptible by gold 
and fond of wine and women. 

De Burgo's unpopularity with the 
English colonists, whom he debarred 
from plundering the Irish, caused his 
removal from office. The Irish, on the 
other hand, objected to his wasting 
raids — although with some of the 
spoils taken In Connacht he piously 
built religious houses in Munster-— and 
to his abduction of their women. One 
night the Connachtmen arose and put 
all his soldiers, billeted among them, 
to the sword. Some years after, in 
furious revenge, he came back and 
made a trail of flre over the province, 
making special pyres of churches and 
abbeys. For this the outraged clergy 
solemnly cursed him with bell, book 
and candle, and under that black 



42 



THE GAEL. 



February, Í903* 




malediction in the same year (1204) he 
died. Some accounts say that he was 
buried in the Augustinian abbey he 
had founded at Athas- 
sel, or Asses' Ford, in 
Tipperary; others that, 
^ excommunicate, aband- 
oned by his 
men under the 
dread ban of 
[ the church, he died of a 
hideous disease, miser- 
ably and alone, amid 
the ruins of a village 
whose people he had- 
massacred, and that his 
remains were thrown 
into a well, from which 
they were never afterwards taken. 

By his wife Isabella, natural daugh- 
ter of King Richard the Lion Heart 
and widow of Llewelyn, Prince of 
Wales, William de Burgo left a son 
Richard, whom the Irish called from 
his mother Mac an Cundaoise Sasan- 
aighe. son of the English countess. 
This, the first MacWiUlam Bourke and 
as great a freebooter and plunderer as 
his father, married Una, daughter of 
Hugh O'Connor, King of Coflnacht, 
through whom he audaciously claimed 
the title of Lord of Connacht He had 
two sons, namely, Walter, who mar- 
ried Maud, daughter of Hugh de Lacy, 
Earl of Ulster, and thus obtained the 
latter title, and William Og, or young 
William, whose Christian name, con- 
tracted to Uliog, or Ulick, thenceforth 
became a favorite one in the De Burgo 
family. 

Walter de Burgo's eldest son, Rich- 
ard, second Earl of Ulster, is known 
in Irish history as the Red Earl. This 
active and aggressive peer, florid of 
face and sanguine of temperament, 
whose regime ran from 1272 to 1326, 
made himself the most powerful man 
in Ireland, extended his sway far and 
wide, riding roughshod over English 
and Irish alike and planting his red- 
cross banner on many a castle. An 
account, probably exaggerated, gives 
his possessions as extending from 
Luchud in Thomond, now Lughid 
bridge, in the barony of Inchlquin, 
Co. Clare; to Ballyshannon, and from 
Forbagh, six miles west to Galway, to 
Ballymacscanlan, near Dundalk. 

His daughter, the Lady Ellen, mar- 
ried King Robert Bruce. One of her 
sisters became Countess of Kildare, 
and another Countess of Desmond, 
thus forming family alliance with the 
Bourkes' old enemies, the Geraldlnes. 



During the Pentecost of 1326 the Red 
Earl entertained at a magnificent ban- 
quet the Anglo-Irish nobles attending 
a parliament which was held at Kil- 
kenny. Then, bidding war-like pomp 
farewell, he entered the monastery of 
Athassel, founded by his great grand- 
father, and exchanged his steel and 
velvet for the habit of an Augustinian 
friar, in which he tranquilly ended his 
stormy career June 28th following. 

The first Ulick Bourke. younger 
brother of Walter. Earl of Ulster, and 
ancestor of the Bourkes of Connacht. 
was executed in 1271 by the fiery Hugh 
O'Connor, King of Connacht; but his 
death was bloodily avenged, forty-five 
years later, by his son William Llath 
Bourke, or Sir WlUam the Grey, at 
the great slaughter of Athenry. where 
the white and yellow waves of linen- 
clad Irish clansmen went up against 
the steel-clad ranks of Anglo-Norman 
archers and men-at-arms as vainly as 
a host of dervishes against a park of 
Gatllngs, and 8,000 corpses lay around 
the fallen oak-tree banner of the 
O'Connors. 

Sir William the Grey, titled Lord 
Warden of Ireland and one of the 
greatest history-makers of his day. 
founded the Dominican abbey of Rath- 
fran. in North Mayo, in 1274. and the 
Franciscan monastery of Galway in 
1296. In the latter house he was in- 
terred, he dying February 12th, 1324. 
and there, in June, 1779, the tomb of 




this grim and grey old veteran was 
discovered about four feet under- 
ground, carved with his family arm& 
and a very long broadsword. By his 
wife Flnola Ny Jordan, of the family 
of the Barons of Athleathan, or Broad 
Ford, on the River Moy, he left sev- 
eral sons, including Ulick, whom the 
"Four Masters" call "the most dis- 
tinguished young nobleman of the 
English in Ireland for hospitality and 
generosity," and whose castle of An- 
nakeen still stands in good preserva- 
tion on the eastern shore of Lough 
Corrib; Sir Edmond the Scot, one of 
the most war-like and turbulent men 
of his day; Richard, whose descendant 
Walter was ancestor of the MacWal- 
ters; John, ancestor of MacSeonin or 
MacShoneen (son of little John)» 
twisted into Jennings; and Philip, 
from whose four sons. Gibbon, Philip, 
Theobald or Tibbot and Meyler de- 
scend respectively the families of Gib- 
bons, Philbln, MacTibbet or Tibbett 
and Moyles. David Bourke was an- 
cestor of the MacDavids, now Daveys 
and Davitts. So went scattering wide 
the seed of this prolific filibustering 
family. 

But now Ireland was startled by a 
quick series of monumental domestic 
crimes, as those fierce and ambitious 
De Burgoa began to Imbrue their 
hands in one another's blood. The 
Red Earl's young randson. Will- 
iam, called the Dun Earl of Ulster, 
seized his kinsman Walter, who am- 
bltloned to be King of Connacht, and 
starved him to death In the Green 
Castle of Inlshowen. Gyle, the mur- 
dered man's sister. Incited her hus- 
band's people, the Mandevllles of Ul- 
ster, to avenge him, and the Dun £«arl 
fell beneath their daggers while on 
his way of Carrlckfergus church on 
Sunday morning, June 6th, 1333. The 
people of the neighborhood arose and 
slew all implicated in the Earl's as- 
sassination to the number of 300; but 
the Earl's wife, who was Maud, daugh- 
ter of Henry Plantagenet, Earl of Lan- 
caster, fled in terror to England, bear- 
ing with her her only child, her one- 
year-old daughter Elizabeth. 

Great was the alarm amongst the 
Connacht Bourkes; the Dun Earl's 
heiress, they considered, would in 
course of time marry, and the Earl's 
vast possessions be transferrea into 
the hands of strangers. So they seized 
the dead Earl's lands for themselves. 
Furthermore, Jtl^ey renounced English 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



February» Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



43 



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(Jo:/ 

MAP OF 

MACWILUAM'S 

COUNTRY. 

Drawn by P. G. Smyth. 




CLAN 
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44 



THE GAEU 



Februaiy, I903* 




laws, language and 
dress and adopted 
those of the Milesian 
Irish. They divided 
themselves into two 
great clans, under the 
headship of the first 
and second sons of 
Sir Walter the Grey. 
Ulick of Annakeen 
received the Irish 
title of MacWilliam 
Uachtar, or the Upper 
MacWilliam, because 
his clan and lands lay 
in "Upper" or South- 
ern Connacht, repre- 
sented by the present 
Ciounty . of Gal way; 
Sir Edmond the Scot 
that of MacWilliam 
lachtar, or the Lower MacWilliam, he 
being situated in "Lower" or Northern 
Connacht, represented by the present 
County of Mayo and the counties ad- 
joining. The Upper MacWilliam was 
better known as MacWilliam of Clan- 
rlckard. The surname of the clan was 
also spelt differently in the two terri- 
tories, and is to the present day: in 
Galway Burke, in Mayo, Bourke. 

An^ong the Bourkes one crime was 
often the parent of another, some- 
times of many. Edmond-na-Feisoge 
Bourke, or the Bearded, younger son 
of the Red Earl and uncle of the Dun 
Earl, was appointed with Archbjshop 
Malachy MacHugh of Tuam to ad- 
minister English government in Con- 
nacht. Evil was the day when this 
poor bearded Bourke started on his 
mission. Low Sunday, April 19th, 
1838, fierce Edmond the Scot and his 
brothers, with a party of afmed fol- 
lowers, beset the friars' house at Bal- 
linrobe, where their kinsman the royal 
commissioner was staying. In vain 
the companions of the latter tried to 
protect him, Roger de Flet, seneschal 
of Connacht; Nicholas Lynott and 
others losing their lives in his de- 
fence. 

That night the Bourkes brought 
their noble captive to Lough Mask 
Castle, the next night to Ballindeon- 
agh Castle, and the third night to a 
lonely islet in the southern arm which 
the lake pushes far amid the rocky 
hills of Partry. Hither, after hard 
riding from Tuam, came Archbishop 
MacHugh, praying and pleading hard 
for a reconciliation between the kins- 
men. But, while the nogotiations were 
pending the bearded Edmond's guards, 



who were a party of the Stauntons, 
fearing for their own safety if he were 
released, enveloped him in a sack, 
which they weighted with stones, and 
fiung him to a miserable death in the 
lake. 

The islet was called from the trag- 
edy Oilean-an-Iarla, the Earl's Island. 
The posterity of those who perpetrated 
the deed were called the Clan Ulkin, 
or Clan of Evil {olcainn). Many of the 
Stauntons, some say through shame 
at this infamy, Celticized their name 
to Mac-an-Mhileadh, (from their an- 
cestor Miley Staunton), now MacBvily. 
From the drowned Edmond descend 
most of the Burkes of Munster. 

Sir Edmond the Scot— so-called from 
long hostageship in Scotland — experi- 




8IR RICHARD OF THE CURVED 
SHIELD. 

enced the wrath of the Connacht chief- 
tains for his part in the doom of Ed- 
mond the Bearded. However, having 
married Sabina O'Malley, he obtained 
protection and assistance from her 
clan of mariners and with additional 
help from Scotland he managed to re- 
instate himself in his possessions. He 
made peace with the King of England 
and broke it again, warred upon and 
humbled his nephew, MacWilliam of 
Clanrickard, gave lands to the abbey 
of Cong, and died at an advanced age 
in 1375, "after the victory of repen- 
tance." 

For the Bourkes were pious in their 
way. Sir Edmond's son Thomas, 
whom Richard II. appointed chief and 
governor of the English in Connacht, 
also granted lands to historic Cong; 
and the latter's son, Thomas the Red, 
founded in 1460 the stately Franciscan 



monastery of Moyne, whose lofty cam- 
panile looks out on the Atlantic over 
the yellow dunes of Bartra, and at 
the gospel side of whose altar may 
still be seen the escutcheoned tomb of 
the noble founder, showing, with the 
Bourke arms, the crescent, emblematic 
Franciscan cell at Annies, on Lough 
of a second son. Walter founded a 
Carra; he died there of the plague in 
1440. Sir Richard of the Curved Shield, 
who established the Bourkes' power in 
Tirawley, granted land for the founda- 
tion of the Dominican abbey at Bur- 
rishoole, on Clew Bay, in 1484. And so 
abbeys, as well as castles, became nu- 
merous in MacWilliam's country. 

For more than sixty miles, as the 
crow files, from where the lofty rock 
of Dunbrista towers over the Atlantic 
billows, on the Tlrawlian coast, to 
where the Black River meanders past 
the castles oi Shrule and Moyne into 
Lough Corrib, in that remote we&t of 
Ireland, extends what was known for 
many centuries as the country of Mac- 
William — about conterminous with 
the present County of Mayo. The dis- 
trict is about as wide as it is long, 
running east from the misty clifEs of 
Achill to the fat green lands of the 
O'Connors' country. The clan lands 
proper of the MacWilliam and his 
people ran north and south, about ten 
miles wide, through the central and 
most fertile portion of it, rich in pas- 
ture and arable, waving with woods, 
spangled with lakes, sprinkled with 
the square, grey, feudal castles of the 
lords of the soil. The borders of the 
MacWilliam's country had in the main 
strong natural defences of thick for- 
ests and wild bogs, through which ran 
difilcult passes. 

It was in the middle of the thir- 
teenth century that the place first be- 
came an English or Anglo-Norman 
feudal colony, which grew up and 
spread out around the old monastery 
of "Mayo of the Saxons," magnet, in 
the old pious days, of another and a 
milder English colony, the hundreds 
of monks and students — the latter in- 
cluding Alfred the Great— who were 
attracted to this great fane of reli- 
gion and learning by the fame of the 
Irish St. Colman and his disciple, the 
Saxon St Gerald. Truth to tell, the 
newcomers did not show much respect 
for the venerable monastery, whence 
of yore the torch of knowledge had 
gone forth to Britain; the freebooter 
Guillaume de Burgo plundered and 
burned it in 120?t JJiSj^p^thleiisly as 
Digitized by 



'^m^! 



February, J903. 



THE GAEL 



45 




the Norseman, 
TurgesiuB, had 
done three cen- 
turies before; 
and twenty-two 
years later his 
son, Richard, 
"left not a rick 
o r measure o f 
corn in the great 
church of Mayo, 
or in the church 
of St Michael 
the Archangel, 
and his troops 
carried oft from 
these churches 
eighty measures 
of corn." 

In later years, however, having 
seized and settled in the country, the 
barons of the English colony exercised 
a kind of protectorate over this an- 
cient house, and by way of ironical 
return of the generosity of the old 
Irish chieftain who had given the 
"field of the yews" (Magh-eo) for the 
purposes of Anglo-Saxon education, 
they decreed. In the conservatism of 
their colonial piety, that no "mere 
Irishman," that is, any Milesian Mac 
or 0, should be allowed to make his 
profession as monk in the monastery 
of Mayo. 

Among the chiefs of the English col- 
ony were the Stantons, who held Kin- 
turk and other castles, west of Mayo 
abbey; the D'Exeters, whose crimson 
banner, with its yellow lion and three 
cross crosslets, flew over the towers 
of Ballylahan and eleven other strong- 
holds to the eastward, built clrcuitous- 
ly to guard against the Incursions of 
the "Iriflhry"; the Prendergasts, whose 
white and blue pennant of "vair" (or 
furs) and oak leaves streamed from 
the ramparts of Brieze and Castle Mac 
Garrett, in the district south of the 
D'Exeters'; and the Nangles, whose 
yellow flag, with Its three azure lozen- 
ges, flamed over many a strong tower 
guarding the passes in the most east- 
erly section of the colony. In the 
northern portion of the territory, or 
Tirawley, was the numerous and pow- 
erful Welsh tribe of Barrett. 

And now these western Anglo-Irish 
threw off all allegiance to the English 
Crown and established a clan govern- 
ment of their own. The Judges of 
their courts gave way to the Brehon 
with his scroll; the legal Norman- 
French was abandoned for the Gaelic. 
Anglo-Norman gallants married apple- 



cheeked Milesian girls. Children were 
exchanged between the races to be 
brought up in the strong, combining 
bonds of fosterage. At the .baptismal 
font, standing sponsor for one anoth- 
er's children, Celt and Anglo-Norman 
contracted the sacred ties of gossipred. 
The land was gaveled or divided 
among the members of the clan, whose 
"gentlemen swordsmen" had the prov- 
ince of electing the head chief or ruler 
and also his successor in case of death, 
a kind of vice-president called from 
his position the tanist, from tanaiste, 
the Irish for the heir apparent, or next 
in command. The English king's writ 
became as waste paper in Connacht. 

The chief Bourke was called Mac- 
William, from William de Burgo. The 
various families of the clan took sur- 
names in the Irish style by adopting 
the father's Christian name with Mac 
(soa» of) before it; and thus came 
MacGibbon (from Gibbon Bourke), 
MacPhil or Philbin, MacHugh or 
Moyles, MacDavid, MacHubert, Mac- 
Hugh, MacSeonin or Jennings, and 
others. As for the vassal or semi- 
vassal clans, promptly following the 
example set them the D'Exeters be- 
came MaeJordans, from their founder 
Jordan D'Exeter; the Prendergasts 
MacMorris, from Maurice or Morris De 
Prendergast the Nangles or D'Angulos 
MacCostello, from Gilbert De Nangle 
or Costello; the Stantons MacEvilly, 
meaning son of the soldier (Mac an 
Mhileadh); and the Barretts Clan 
Wattin and Clan Padden, from their 
forbears. 

Between these various ^ clans and 
branches of clans of this large, iso- 
lated, independent Anglo-Irish colony, 
governed by Irish laws, there often 
occurred difterences and quarrels, 
sometimes accompanied by bloodlet- 
ting and cattle-lifting. In that day of 
hot blood and ready sword, red mur- 
der, fratricidal, sacrillgious, stained 
the annals of the Bourkes. Two sons 
of Sir Richard of the Curved Shield 
and his wife Sighle or Sheelah Ny 
Jordan, "the most exalted woman 
in Connacht," were foully slain even 
within the sanctuary of abbeys; John 
of Tirawley, "one of the most worthy 
young men of the English in Ireland," 
in Ballintubber, by the treacherous 
sons of his uncle Ulick, in 1506, and 
seven years later (February 6th, 1513), 
in the sacred precincts of Rathfran, 
by his evil nephews, the sons of his 
brother Walter. 
Even some of the women of the fam- 



ily are said to have worn the crimson 
stain. David Bourke, son of one of 
the fore-mentioned homicides, had by 
his flrst wife a son named Wa\]ter the 
Tall and by his second, who was Fin- 
ola O'Flaherty, Iron Rickard and Will- 
iam Caoch, the Blind Abbot. To make 
way for her son Rickard the step- 
mother instigated her brother Donal 
to murder Walter the Tall (ancestor 
of the Bourkes of Partry). The foul 
deed was perpetrated In the castle of 
Iveran, near Minna, Co. Galway. In 
due course Iron Rickard became Mac- 
William. 

A very war-like and restless indi- 
vidual was this stern man in iron, who 
owed to the murderer's Skene his pre- 
sentation with the white wand of 
chieftaincy. He was called Rlsdeard- 
an-Iarainn from his continually going 
in armor. The "Four Masters" de- 
scribe his as "a man noted for depre- 
dations, conflicts, marches and valor- 
ous deeds, who often forced the dan- 
gerous pass against his enemies, and 
who was also often defeated." Such a 
man looking around for a helpmate, 
naturally found a most suitable one 
in the daring sea-queen Graine O'Mal- 
ley, who, after marrying him, con- 
tinued to practice what she called her 
"thrade of maintenance" as Irish buc- 
caneer: 

She left the close-alr'd land of trees 
And proud MacWiUiam's palace, 

For clear, bare Clare's health-salted 
breeze. 
Her oarsmen and her galleys; 

And where, beside the bending strand 

The rock and billow wrestle. 

Between the deep sea and the land 
She built her Island Castle. 

The Spanish captains, sailing by 

For Newport, with amazement 
Beheld the cannon'd longship lie 

Moor'd to the lady's casement; 
And covering coin and cup of^ gold 

In haste their hatches under 
They whls'per'd, '"Tls a pirate's hold; 

She sails the seas for plunder!" 

(To he cotUinued.) 



ONE of the most interesting Gaelic 
League publications is "Smuainte 
ar Arainn," from the pen of Miss 
Agnes O'Farrelly, M. A. Miss O'Far- 
relly's book consists of a series of 
charmingly- written sketches, descrip- 
tive of life in Aran, that stronghold of 
Irish speech and customs and the 
Mecca of students of Irish. The book 
is written in a bright and attractive 
manner, and the printing, binding and 
appearance of the book reflect much 
credit on the publication committee. 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



46 



THE GAEL* 

Irish Folk-Lore. 



February, Í903. 




NoTB. — [this story, which is an allegory on the sin of gluttony, and shows how strongly meanness is detested in Ire- 
land, was given to me by a horseboy employed at the stud farm at Ballanihane in the barony of Condons' and Ciongibbon, 
Co. Cork. His mother's people had no English in them and it was she who made the stories for him. He had a good 
«tore but was slow to give them.] 



-^^TTHB Galbally farmers are the 
J[ meanest men in Munster! 
Whoever knows anything 
knows that It was a priest who gave 
out that saying on them, and he never 
spoke a truer word. It is a sight to 
look at them in the market or at a 
fair. At Cahirmee the whole world 
knows them for a blister and a blem- 
ish on the five counties. There they 
are all for airgead Hos, and luck pen- 
nies back, and neither pedigree, nor 
blood, nor learning, nor Latin, has any 
sway with them, nothing but the ready 
lucre and the yellow gold. And the 
price they'd ofter for a horse one would 
think it was how you stole him. Yea 
the young children despise them, and 
going on along the road would show 
never a one of them a bird's nest for 
fear the bodach would rob it against 
night came. 

But bad as they are now, their fath- 
ers before them were a sight worse in 
the old times. 'Tis how one of them 
used to be coming across the hills into 
the country when the mills were grind- 
ing at Killavullen and Castletown. 
Well he was the mean man. If ever he 
had a name of his own even the women 
disremembered it. But they had a song 
on him and a bye-word, and the 
"Trencherman" was the name they put 
on him. 'Tis he that was long of leg 
and long of step, a tall, thin, and lathy 
man. If he was anything at all 'tis 
one of the White Knights' people he 
was, and curse-bound like the whole 
box and dice of them 

Well he was the mean man. His en- 
deavors were for ever to be eating and 
drinking. The worst of it was nothing 
would fatten him. My hand to you but 
he could eat and drink for a month 
of Sundays and be still lean and hun- 



ger-bitten. He vexed many a hospit* 
able house and spluttered over many 
a good table. As soon as ever the mil- 
ler sat down to his bit or sup, morn, 
noon or night who throws his long 
sack of a body across the half door but 
my bould Trencherman. 'Be the same 
token they said he was born at meal 
times, set to the porridge in the morn- 
ing, or the roosters at night and never 
abashed comes in my boyo, with his 
puss all mouth only for the two little 
slits of eyes he got from a weasel for 
ever on the hunt for meat and drink. 

Ton should see him at a "patron" 
bumming about from booth to booth. 
Full of talk to men he never saw be- 
fore though in truth he was befamed 
in every parish. 'Tis queer things 
were heard tell of him. He once 
plucked a poor redousel and ate her 
without salt, and they made a Joke of 
his 'cuteness, saying he'd drown an 
eel in an eggcupful of water, and so 
on. 

Wake or wedding he was always on 
the make until he was counted the 
curse of the country — dragging it down 
— and men began to aggravate them- 
slves against him. As for the women 
— they found him out entirely. With 
them he was no good for King or Kil- 
benny country. He was once at a fu- 
neral and when all was over, and the 
sod spread and the boys and girls be- 
ginning to amuse themselves slashing 
one another with nettles, didn't they 
discover that some one had eat the 
priest's breakfast, and his reverence 
not yet at the Munda Cor meum* of 
the Mass, and the Book not passed. 
'Twas how he went into the kitchen 
tracing relations and when the good 
woman of the house ran in to say a 
few prayers, he out with the meat in 



his maw like the mean mongrel he 
was. Well, the women fell on him and 
the whole congregation were at him 
trying to make him behave himself. 

After that not a bit would he get for 
love or money or Ood-sake in the 
whole world, so he was minded to put 
the length of Ireland between himself 
and the people. He cut his stick and 
greased his brogues and oft beyond the 
hills to Galbally and nothing with him 
but a dish cover he stole. He crossed 
the Funcheon by Athnaneen and spent 
the night in a haggard east of Kildor- 
rery, with do other companions than 
the owl and wildcat — kind for him. 
He made three parts of that night, one 
cursing the country for turning sour 
on him, one contriving to be venged 
on them, and one making a moan for 
the emptiness of this world. 

There is a well hard by there under 
the mountain ash blessed for healing 
by St. Molaga; the water is so melli- 
fluent that people say the bees be 
washing golden honey in it There is a 
little white trout do be in that well 
from old — time out of mind. He was 
the Saint's own little storeen and pet, 
and came from beyond seas with him. 
He is blessed, too, and shines in the 
dark places of the water, and at night 
like a star through the trees. More- 
over, he is most knowledgeable and no 
one ever envies him on i^is happy 
swimmingness. The children that see 
him will never lose the sight of their 
eyes nor do the cattle get murrain. 

They say many things of that Mol- 
aga trout, that are too wonderful to 
remember. Time is a good story-teller 
but he is getting old. Once a little 
otter that had been ginned and hurted 
before her ecape could not go a hunt- 
ing that day, no nor the next day, nor 



Digitized by 



Google 



February^ 1903* 



the other day, and her five whelpeens 
were like to etarve. 

"My dear, love to you for ever," said 
the otter In Irish to tjie trout "Oom- 
radeen of the clear water, my children 
are small and 'tis fqod they want Help 
me for Molaga's sake, and In the Long 
Day, at the Latter End, by the Brink 
of Judgment, I will stand by you." 

"No sooner said than done," made 
answer the Blessed Trout, and he 
opened his veins and gave his ripe rich 
blood to whet the weeney water dogs. 

Another time, a little miorman* got 
beyond the tight tether of the spancel 
and reached and grasped a groundsel 
on the high rock. One of the Sons of 
the Rock— a small echo— gave a shout 
out of him, scared the miatman, and 
she slipped down deep Into the well. 
She was like to be drowned having 
sank the third time, when as God 
would have it, she saw the little Trout 

"My dear love to you forever," says 
the mioman. "Sweet Sire, save me 
for Molaga's sake, or I perish, and 
those that need my milk in the bime- 
bye will wither away." 

"No sooner said than done," said the 
little Trout, and he spread forth his 
flns, very wonderful to look upon — a 
rarey show. The goat stepped on their 
golden edges and climbed on the dry 
land. 

When the Trencherman saw this lit- 
tle Trout he hungered for him and he 
got his dirty dish cover and put it deep 
in the well and cajoled the little fel- 
low into it Then he made himself a 
fire and put the dish cover upon it 
fUled it with water and the little trout 
swimming and sparkling inside. 

Then he said in his heart: "GiUaroo 
you're mine now or never," and he 
smacked his thick lips. 

Well It was never!! Because he 
boiled and watched and watched and 
boiled until the night was coming and 
the Trout began to shine. Just as the 
Trencherman, wonderstruck, looked 
into the pot. the Trout gave a shake 
out of his Joints, slapped his fins and 
Jumped back with himself into the 
well! The first bubbles splashed into 
the Trencherman's eyes and knocked 
the sight from him. Out rushed the 
Otter and her five young ones and 
stuck their teeth in him until they 
heard every bone in his body crack. 
That Is their nature. Down Jumped 
the goat and put her horns through 
hfin and let in the east wind, and it 
blew the life out of him. And there 
he lay on the bed of nettles beside the 
four big stones, food for crows, and 
all that was left of him was a bye- 
word for gentle and simple." 

•Pron. Meenawn— €b little goat, a kid. 



THE GAEU 

Franciscan Manuscripts* 

A PUBLIC announcement has Just 
been made that the British 
branch of the International So- 
ciety of Franciscan studies Is collect- 
ing material, with a view to undertak- 
ing the compilation of a catalogue of 
Franciscan MSS. in Great Britain and 
Ireland. In this catalogue It is pro- 
posed to Include 

(1) MSS. of works bearing on the 
history of St. Francis and the Francis- 
can movement; 

(2) MSS. containing the writings of 
Franciscan friars (the majority of 
which will be scholastic treatises) ; 

(3) MSS. transcribed by Franciscan 
friars or formerly belonging to Fran- 
ciscan houses; 

(4) Service books. 

As a general rule, it has been decided 
that no MSS. of later date than the 
beginning of the sixteenth century will 
be noticed, and charters will be ex- 
cluded. It is proposed to arrange the 
catalogue according to libraries, to is- 
sue it in parts, and to Index It sub- 
sequently. Owners of private collec- 
tions of medisBval MSS. are asked to 
supply the society with any informa- 
tion they are willing to give regard- 
ing their collections, and to permit the 
compilers of the catalogue to describe 
In it any Franciscan MSS. that may 
be fou^d in the collections. 

The society is making this appeal to 
' owners of private collections in the be- 
lief that nearly all collections of 
medi83val MSS. will be found to con- 
tain some Franciscan MSS. The Hon. 
Sec. of the British Branch of the In- 
ternational Society of Franciscan 
Studies is the Hon. and Rev. James 
Adderley. St. Mark's Vicarage, Mary- 
lebone Road, London, N. W. 

Amidst the sordid materialism of 
the age it is noteworthy that this cult 
of the Patriarch of the Poor should en- 
gage the minds and hearts of so many 
who are separated from that Church 
of which St Francis of Assisi was so 
devoted a servant and so bright an 
ornament. 



THE Friendly Sons of St Patrick 
have issued a neat little 12mo. 
volume containing the Pro- 
ceedings at the Dinner to the Rocham- 
beau Special Mission given by the So- 
ciety at Delmonioo's (New York), on 
May 2Wh last year. 

The book contains an introduction 
by Mr. J. I. C. Clarke and is mainly 
valuable as a souvenir of an interesting 
and patriotic function. 



47 

Mungrct ''Annual/^ 

THE students of Mungret College, 
Limerick, favored THE GAEL 
last month with a copy of their 
sixth "Annual," whxch arrived too late 
for acknowledgment in our last issue. 
The college, under the management of 
the Jesuit Fathers, is beautifully situ- 
ated on a gentle eminence a little to 
the south of the Shannon about three 
miles west of the city of Limerick. 

At the close of each year its ex-stu- 
dents' and graduates in Eire and in 
lands beyond the sea send greetings 
and loving messages to their Alma 
Mater, many of which tend to cheer 
and encourage the youngsters in col- 
lege. 

The present Annual is a most credit- 
able production filled with Interesting 
literary matter and handsomely illus- 
trated in half-tones. The printing has 
been done by Guy & Co., Cork, and is 
up to the usual standard of excellence 
of that house. 



The Fleming Companionship* 

THE Fleming Companionship met 
on Friday, January 2d, at 1 
Mountcharies. Belfast, the fol- 
lowing companions being present: El- 
Ise Murphy, W. A. Leyden. R. A. Foley. 
John J. Murphy and M. Griffin. The 
Companionship generally will be griev- 
ed to hear of the deaths of Mrs. Ber- 
gin in Cork, and of Aonghus Draoi, 
both occurring within the week. 

The papers for the December exam- " 
Inatlon are now in the hands of the ex- 
aminers. It was announced that appli- 
cations to attend the February exam- 
ination should be sent to the Fleming 
Companionship, Cork, on January 10th. 

The reissue of Banba was warmly ac- 
claimed, as there is no question that 
this spirited publication will help the 
development of Gaelic along natural 
lines — a policy for which Fleming 
spent his life. The Examination Sup- 
plement is now on sale In Belfast at 
McLennon's, in Chapel Lane, or it can 
be had direct from the Companion- 
ship In Cork together with the Exam- 
ination Programme. It was remarked 
that the adoption of this programme 
has braced and steadied every class 
that has taken it up and that it seems 
to breathe new life and vigor into all 
Gaelic organizations. 




Digitized by 



Google _ 



48 



THE GAEL. 



Fcbrtttuy, 1903. 




W 



Adam^s Curse» 

B sat together at one Summer's end 
That beautlfal mild woman your close friend 
And you and I, and talked of poetry. 



I said: "A line will take us hours maybe. 
Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought 
Our stitching and unstitching has been naught 
Better go down upon your marrow bones 
And scrub a kitchen pavement or break stones 
Like an old pauper in all kinds of weather; 
For to articulate sweet sounds together 
Is to work harder than all these and yet 
Be thought an idler by the noisy set 
Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen 
The martyrs call the world." 

That woman then 
Murmured with her young voice for whose mild sake 
There's many a one shall find out all heartache 
In finding that it's young and mild and low. 
'•There Is one thing that all we women know 
Although we never heard of It at school. 
That we must labor to be beautiful." 
I said: "It's certain there Is no fine thing 
Since Adam's fall but needs much laboring. 
There have been lovers who thought love should be 
So much compounded of high courtesy 
That they would sigh and quote with learned looks 
Precedents out of beautiful old books; 
Yet now It seems an Idle trade enough." 

We sat grown aulet at the name of love. 
We saw the last embers of daylight die 
And In the trembling blue-green of the sky 
A moon — moon worn as If It had been a shell. 
Washed by time's waters as they rose and fell 
About the starn and broke In days and years. 

I had a thought for no one but your ears, ' 

That you were beautiful and that I strove 

To love you In the old highway of love; 

That It had all seemed happy and yet we'd grown 

As weary hearted as that hollow moon. 

W. B. YEATS. 



The Poet-Priests. 

As from the East unto the utwost West 
God bids the banner of His lightning shine, 
The flashing signal of the Face Divine 
With whose fair radiance earth may soon be blest; 
So speeds the Heavenly Muse, at His behest. 
Across the waters; so the spreading vine 
Of sacred poesy, with clusters fine. 
By Western airs Is welcomed and caressed. 
O ye whose sires our Irish fields have trod. 
By holy Patrick's feet made hallowed ground. 
His dower of truth and beauty ye have found; 
With you still buds and blossoms Aaron's rod, 
Proclaiming you the poet-priests of God, 
To wave the incense of His praise around. 

— R. WILTON. 



Dcnny^s Daughter* 

DENNY'S daughter stood a minute In the field I 
was to pass. 
All as quiet as her shadow laid before along the 
grass; 
In her hand a switch o' hazel from the nut-trees 

crooked root— 
An' I mind the crown o' clover crumpled under one 
bare foot 

For the look of her, 

The look of her. 

Comes back on me to-day— 

With the eyes of her. 

The eyes of her, 

That took me on the way. 

Though 1 seen poor Denny's daughter white an' stiff 

upon her bed. 
Yet I be to think there's sunlight fallin' somewhere 

on her head. • 
She'll be slngln' Ave Mary where the flowers never 

wilt- 
She, the girl my own hand covered with the narrow 

daisy quilt 

For the love of her. 

The love of her. 

That would not be my wife— 

An' the loss of her. 

The loss of her. 

Has left me alone for life. 

— MOIRA O'NEILL. 



A G)nnacht Lament 

1WILL arise and go hence to the west. 
And dig me a grave where the hill winds call; 
But O, were I dead, were I dust, the fall 
Of my own love's footstep would break the rest 



My heart In my bosom is black as a sloe! 

I heed not cuckoo, nor wren, nor swallow; 

Like a flying leaf In the sky's blue hollow, 
The heart In my. breast is that beats so low. 

Because of the words, your lips have spoken, 
O, dear black head that I must not follow, 
My heart Is a grave that Is stripped and hollow. 

As Ice on the water my heart is broken. 

lips forgetful and kindness fickle. 
The swallow goes south with you; I go west. 
Where fields are empty and scythes at rest 
I am the poppy and you the sickle; 

My heart Is broken within my breast 

Digitized b^WORA HOPPER. 



February, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



49 








CCORDINQ to the dlB- 
tlngulsbed English 
archaeologist, Dr.West- 
wood, the Book of 
Kelis, aow in the li- 
brary of Dublin Uni- 
versity, is the most 
L^ beautiful book in the 
? world. He is not alone 
In bis opinion. Not 
only poetical historians like Henri 
Martin, but grave scholars like Wyatt, 
Waagen, Keller, Zimmer and others 
grow almost lyrical when describing 
this marvel of art "In delicacy of 
handling, and minute but faultless exe- 
cution the whole range of palaeography 
ofters nothing comparable to these 
early Irish manuscripts, and the most 
marvelous of all is the Book of Kells. 
Some of the ornaments of which I at- 
tempted to copy but broke down in de- 
spair," says Mr. Digby Wyatt Waagen 
tells us that "the ornamental pages, 
borders and initial letters exhibit such 
a rich variety of beautiful and peculiar 
designs, so admirable a taste in the ar- 
rangement of the colors and such un- 
common perfection and finish that one 
is absolutely lost in amazement" 

The Book of Kells in an illuminated 
manuscript of the Four Gospels in 
Latin, it contains prefaces, explana- 
tions of the meaning of Hebrew names, 
summaries, and the tables of the Euse- 
bian Canon. 

It was formerly believed to have been 
composed by St Columba in the second 
half of the sixth century. Conserva- 
tive archaeologists are pretty generally 
agreed at present that it was produced 
during the second half of the seventh. 
It cannot well be later; the saints in 
it are representea with a Celtic ton- 
sure, which consisted in shaving the 
front of the head from ear to ear. As 
the Roman tonsure which is entirely 
difierent was universally accepted by 
the Irish church several years before 



The Book of Kells. 

The Most Beautiful Book in the World. 



By James A. CUikson* 



the close of the century, it seems a 
natural conclusion that these saints 
would have had the Roman tonsure if 
the manuscript had been composed af- 
ter the year 700. . 

The real manuscript of St Columba 
of what is left of it, is in the library 
of the Royal Irish Academy. It has a 
somewhat curious interest in connec- 
tion with an incident which may be re- 
garded as the first attempted enforce- 
ment of a law of copyright We are 
told in an Irish manuscript of the 
eleventh century published by Wind- 
isch, that Columba requested permis- 
sion of Bishop Molaise to copy the gos- 
pels of St Finan, which had been late- 
ly placed in the Episcopal Cathedral. 
Meeting with a churlish refusal he 
stole into the church night after night, 
until the whole had been copied. When 
Molaise learned the trick that had 
been played on him, he fell into a ter- 
rible rage, demanded the copy, and on 
Columba's refusal, appealed to King 
Diarmaid, then in residence at Tara. 
After hearing both parties, Diarmaid 
sought for precedence in all the librar- 
ies in Erin, but there never before had 
been a case in which the rights of an 
author or transcriber in his work were 
involved. However, there had been 
any number of cases, dealing with the 
ownership of cattle, and on these was 
the king's Judgment based. The "calf," 
he said, "belongs to the owner of the 
cow, and the little book to the owner 
of the big book." Le gach hoin a 
hoinin, *agu8 le gach leabUar a leahhr 
airin; literally: "to each cow belongs 
her little cow, and to each book her 
litUe book." 

The text of the Book of Kells is 
written in the noble semi-uncial char- 
acter adopted by all the Irish scribes 
of the period, but it is the illustrat- 
tions, borders, initial letters, etc., that 
render it a perfect house of artistic 
wealth. No wonder Oiraldus Cam- 
brensis, who was sent by Henry II. on 




an embassy to Ireland In 1185, should 
have insisted that it could have been 
written only by angels. Fancy what 
seems a mere colored dot to the naked 
eye becoming, under the power of the 
microscope, a conventional bunch of 
foliage with a conventional bird among 
the branches. In speaking of the min- 
uteness and almost miraculous correct- 
ness of the drawing. Professor West- 
wood mentions that with the aid of a 
powerful lens, he counted within the 
space of one inch 158 interlacements 
of bands or ribands, each riban com- 
posed of a strip of white, bordered on 
each side by a black strip! 

"No words," ysays Dr. Middleton, 
professor of Fine Arts in Cambridge 
University in his admirable work on 
illuminated npianuscripts, "can describe 
the intricate delicacy of the ornamen- 
tation of this book, lavishly decorated 
as it is within the difierent varieties 
of ingeniously intricate patterns form- 
ed by interlaced and knotted lines of 
color, plaited in and out with such 
complicated interlacement that one 
cannot look at the page without aston- 
ishment at the combined taste, pa- 
tience, unfaltering certainty of touch 
and imaginative ingenuity of the art- 
ist With regard to the intricate inter- 
laced ornaments in which, with the aid 
of a lens, each line can be followed out 
in its windings and never found to 
break oft or lead to an impossible loop 
of knotting, it is evident that the art- 
ist must have enjoyed not only an 
{esthetic pleasure in the invention of 
his pattern, but must also have had a 
distinct intellectual enjoyment of his 
work such as a skillful mathematician 
feels in working out a complicated 
mathematical problem." 

It would be impossible, in our limited 
space, to enter into an analysis of the 
difterent classes of ornaments in this 
book, the most wonderful example of 
human workmanship the world has 
ever produced. 0n? p( ^e most note- 
Digitized by 



50 



THE GAEL* 



February, Í903* 




worthy is formed by bands or diapers 
of step-like lines surrounding minute 
spaces of entrancingly brilliant color, 
a sort of cloisonne inlay suggested evi- 
dently by the inlay with bits of trans- 
parent carbuncle employ^ by the Irish 
Jewelers in gold jewelry. Another 
prominent feature is the use of spirals 
imitated from the application of gold 
wire to flat surfaces. It may be as well 
to state that the scribes of the Irish 
manuscripts were evidently much in- 
debted to the goldsmith's art, which, 
judging by the museum of the Royal 
Irish Academy, must have attained an 
unapproachable delicacy and beauty in 
Ireland during the first centuries of 
the Christian era. 

In his "Bilder und Schriftzue in den 
Irischen Manuschriptem," Dr. Keller 
considers the spirals the most difficult 
part of the patterns. "They are," says 
he, "real masterpieces which furnish 
magnificent evidence of the extraordi- 
nary firmness of hand of the artist! 
The beautiful trumpet pattern of which 
so much has been written is the ex- 
pansion of the spiral into something" 
in the form of a trumpet" 

The Dublin University has a price- 
less collection of manuscripts dating 
from the sixth to the fourteenth cen- 
turies. One of them, the Book of Dur- 



row — a century older than the Book of 
Kells— is little inferior to it in beauty. 
Some years ago a Dublin publishing 
house issued a series of photographic 
reproductions of the principal pages 
and most striking initials, under the 
title "Celtic Ornaments from the Book 
of Kells," a copy of which is in the 
Library of the office of The Gael. But 
it was found impossible to reproduce, 
by any mechanical process, the colors, 
which are as fresh and brilliant to-day 
as when the artist laid them on 1.200 
years ago. Consequently the work, 
though iuteresting is but a pale, al- 
most ghostly reflection of the splendid 
manuscript that is a living witness to 
the civilization and culture of the cen- 
tury which gave it birth. 



Restrictions in Brittany* 

THE London Times' Paris corre- 
spondent says it is reported that 
Minister Combes has forbidden 
the priests in Brittany to catechize in 
Breton Gaelic, but that Bishop Quim- 
per ascertained tnat the 110 parishes 
of his diocese do not contain a single 
child capable of receiving religious in- 
struction in the French language, and 
in one small town only 12 out of 150 of 
the inhabitants understood French. 



Didn't Have a Rich Father. 

THIS story is told of Senator Clark, 
the Irish-American multi-mil- 
lionaire, of Montana: After 
having received a shave and haircut in 
a barber shop he asked the barber 
"how much." 

"Well," said the barber, "your son 
generally gives me $5." 

The senator asked the regular 
charge and paid it, remarking: 

"My son has a rich father, and I 
have not." 



Blarney Stone Found 

MICHAEL GROGAN, of Division 4, 
Ancient Order of Hibernians 
(Louisville, Ky.), wants anoth- 
er Irish fair, so well was he pleased 
with the last one, and by the way 
there is a good story going the rounds 
concerning Mike and the fair. 

When the model of Blarney Castle 
was torn down the piece of the blarney 
stone was mysteriously missing. A 
thorough search was made but the 
missing fragment could not be found. 
Everybody came to the conclusion that 
the goat that was in the yard next the 
peasant's cabin had eaten it 

Now it turns out that Grogan has 
the stone. He told Jim Kenealey that 
he would not give it up until the Hi- 
bernians gave another Irish fair. — 
Kcfitvcky Iriith Americaitr\Ql^ 



February, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



5J 




Notes From Ireland» 



MANY believe the League has al- 
ready gone sufficiently far with 
the publication of i>amphlet8 in 
English and that an eftort should now 
be made to have a series of propagan- 
dist pamphlets in Irish publishetl and 
distributed. There are, plenty of Irish 
writers in all the provinces at present 
who, set to the definite task of pre- 
paring pamphlets for propagandist 
purposes, would be able to produce 
something of real literary merit 

Particularly some of the better 
writers have dropped out of the 
Oireaehtas competitions, and failing 
the arrangement of special competi- 
tions for them, there seems no other 
practical outlet for their talents. Many 
a man might be found to write an ex- 
ceptionally good and instructive essay 
who never would, never, perhaps, could 
write a book. 



The League's organizers, too, would 
soon be able to do much in this way. 
No body of men in the service of any 
modern Irish movement have been 
given such latitude, have had so much 
confidence reposed m them as have 
the organizers of the Gaelic League. 
They have every possible facility for 
Investigating Irish peasant life, their 
associations are specially calculated to 
excite and develop a literary taste, 
some of them have already given evi- 
dence of literary ability, they have a 
wide and fertile field to operate upon, 
which has not been touched since the 
«.lays of Keating; and, condldering the 
local color and fiavor and freshness 
they could impart to every line, the 
traditions with which they could em- 
bellish every chapter they wrote, there 
seems scarcely a doubt that these men 
will in time produce rich volumes of 
racy native literature. 



It is not easy to realize the extent to 
which the Gaelic League has excited 
literary ambition among all classes in 
Ireland. This ambition might be wel- 
comed if it were not that in many 



cases the result is a regrettable mis- 
conception of the national characteris- 
tics, wanton theorizing, and conse- 
quent serious confusion of thought and 
of ideas. 

Whenever an Irish writer forgets 
himself, imagines he does, while he 
does not, comprehend Ireland's politi- 
cal situation in its entirety, possibly 
the best corrective he could take would 
be a complete course of the '48 litera- 
ture. This will help to snow him his 
own level, to broaden his sympathies, 
to extend his horizon, it will teach him 
to respect the memory, to appreciate 
the aspirations, the methods and the 
motives of men who, though mostly 
ignorant of their native tongue, pos- 
sessed all the better instincts and more 
than the average fidelity of their race. 
If we must, as we must, read the lan- 
guage of the spoiler, let us through it 
become acquainted with the definition 
of nationality, embodied in the litera- 
ture of the '48 period. It is a faithful 
reflex of the nobler life of a noble era. 

Materialism is, always will be essen- 
•tlal to national progress: unrelieved 
materialism ever must be demoraliz- 
ing. 



One of the striking features of the 
last League Congress was the marked 
earnestness of the northern delegates. 
It is largely as a result of this charac- 
teristic earnestness that the Ulster 
Fels, Just held in Belfast, showed such 
a great advance on the previous Feis 
held two years ago. On that occasion 
your correspondent had the pleasure c)f 
traveling from Dublin with William 
Rooney, and two adles — Miss O'Dono- 
van and Miss Killeen — who from the 
very first have been the most earnest 
and most consisten workers in the 
Gaelic League. Poor Fear na muimi- 
tire sang and told stories during the 
whole journey lasting well over three 
hours, each succeeding song and story 
being suggested by the various scenes 
of historic Interest that fringed the 



route. The first person to greet us on 
the Belfast platform was the lamented 
Mrs. Seamus MacManus, then Miss 
Anna Johnston. And such a truly 
warm greeting! Who would have 
dreamt that evening that before the 
next Feis the hand of Death would 
have stilled the fertile intellects of 
Ethna Carbery and Fear na muitmtirel 

The London "Daily News" of the 
13th ult., contains the following: 

"The Macroom Board of Guardians 
has put into force its resolution to 
transact Its proceedings in the Irish 
language. At its last meeting the ap- 
plications for outdoor relief were dis- 
cussed in Irish, the chairman signed 
all the orders in Irish, and most of the 
ordinary business was transacted in 
Irish. Some of the members were ap- 
parently bewildered by the course of 
the proceedings, and obviously unable 
to follow what was going on; and 
when they attempted to protest, the 
other members pretended not to un- 
derstand them. However, in Macroom 
there are very few who are not suffi- 
ciently familiar with Irish to be able 
to speak it fluently." 

The peculiar humor of the "Dally 
News" is well exemplifled in the asser- 
tion that "the other members pretend- 
ed not to understand them." Other- 
wise the paragraph is a plain state- 
ment of fact. Well done, Macroom! 
In addition to supplying more than its 
proportion of the itinerary workers, 
Cork has promoted the interests of thp 
Gaelic League within its own boun- 
daries with a practical earnestness un- 
known in any other county in Ireland. 



The Coiste Gnotha at its last meeting 
unanimously adopted the following 
resolution: 

"That we regret very much the ac- 
tion of the present French govern- 
ment towards the Breton language, 
and we hereby express our sympathy 
with our fellow Celts, the Bretons, in 
their langniage 
Digitiz 



t^eTbytSbogle 



52 



THE GAEL 



Fcbniarjr, Í903^'2 




TOTOMANHOODand Nationhood." 
^^ ^f This was the happily chosen 
title of Miss Butler's very 
fine paper, read for her by Miss Jennie 
O'Flanagan, In the rooms of the Gaelic 
League, Central Branch, Dublin. 

Miss Butler Is one of the youngest, 
most earnest and most gifted writers 
of the Irish revival movement, and her 
lecture contained a wealth of noble 
sentiments, practical advice, and sound 
common sense, clothed In charming lit- 
erary style, and was from beginning 
to end an earnest and heartfelt appeal 
to her country women, to take up the 
cause of their native land, showing 
them the best means of doing so, and 
telling them very plainly their duty 
towards the language and Industrial 
revival. 

But It was to the mothers— the 
young Irish mothers round whose 
knees cluster the little children of to- 
day who will be the men and women of 
years hence— that Miss Butler pleaded 
with Impassioned fervor, to bring up 
those little ones In a truly holy and 
Irish atmosphere, so that they may be 
really Irish in heart. In soul and feel- 
ing, as well as In name, and to teach 
them to know, honor and love the land 
of their birth, and all that pertains 
to It. 

They should make the homes, now 
alas! usually such "dull, colorless, un- 
original and Imitative thine»," purely 
Irish. The books that are read there, 
the music and songs, that are played 
and sung, the language that Is spoken 
and prayed In, the topics discussed, the 
furniture and decoration of the rooms, 
and the clothes worn, all should De 
Irish throughout They should be 
taught, too, to admire flowers, and all 
the beauties of nature, so that the love 
of what Is beautiful, and good and re- 
flned which is inhefent In the Irish 
character (though crushed down per- 
haps to a great extent by force of cruel 
circumstances) may be developed. 

Nor does Miss Butler neglect the ma- 
terial side of the question. She admits 



that, taking them generally, it Is very 
true "Irish women are the best wives 
and mothers, but the worst housekeep- 
ers in the world/' and she exhorts 
them to make an effort to improve In 
this matter. 

She strongly condemns the boarding- 
school education, for girls at least, as 
she holds It to blame for the weaken- 
ing of the home ties and affections, 
which is one of the evils of the age, 
an^ which is daily evidenced by the 
apparent unconcern with which par- 
ents and children part, often without 
hope of meeting again, but here also, 
as she points out, it lies wlu. the 
mother to make those family ties so 
strong, those affections so deep and 



true, that nothing on earth — even sep- 
aration. If unfortunately It becomes In- 
evitable—can break or chill them. 

On the emigration question. Miss 
Bjitler spoke In words which thrilled 
one, by the sorrow and despair which 
they breathed, and hopeless indeed 
must be the case of the woman, who, 
bearing them, would not feel her heart 
fftlrred with pity and the desire to do 
her part In helping to stop It. And 
that every woman In Ireland, nay 
every Irish woman the world over, can 
aid In this great work, was but too 
clearly shown. Indeed, Miss Butler 
seems to have almost unlimited faith 
In the power and Influence of her own 
sex, and she Justifles herself for this 




"THE BEST OP ALL SCHOOLS IS AN IRISH MOTHBJ^S KNBBJ 

Digitiz 



I MOTHW8 KNBB.*^ 

tized by Google 



February, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



53 



belief, by quoting from many great 
writeri^, French and Oerman as well as 
Irish, in proof of it Anfl^ aa she 
rightly says, to do her share In the 
building of an Irish Ireland, a'wohxan 
need not be a genius, nor need she be 
wealthy or highborn, neither does it 
require any selfHsacrlfice, or neglect of, 
the personal and private affairs of life. 
The woman in the littl wayside cabin, 
or the artlzan's wife, have Just as 
much influence — in the past they had 
more— as the mistress of the grand 
mansion or stately city home. 

Altogether it was a lecture to which 
no Irish woman could listen unmoved, 
and I only wish that more of them had 
been present to hear it, but, unfortu- 
nately, even the few who were there, 
though they could not fail to derive 
great pleasure and profit from it, were 
those who perhaps needed it less than 
the large number of our sisters, who 
alas! still remain outside the magic 
circle of the Irish revival. I would 
that a copy of it should be sent to 
every Irish home and convent, and 
school, and that every Irish woman 
the world over might read it once. 
Will the Gaelic League see to it that 
this is done at least in part? 

Miss Curran proposed a vote of 
thanks which was seconded by Mrs. 
Wyse Power, and both ladles made 
charming, if brief, speeches, the last- 
named expressing the hope that if 
"his lordship — man" desires the as- 
sistance of woman in the revival move- 
ment he ought to be satisfied now and 
again to sacrifice his "creature com- 
forts" for its sake, and not grumble, 
if, once in a way, when his wife is 
helping to organize a meeting or such 
like, his dinner is not up to the usual 
high standard. Miss Hayden also 
spoke well and to the point, whilst 
Miss O'Farrelly, who made a capital 
"chairman," after seeing that every 
one who could utter a word got a 
chance of doing so, gave a very charm- 
ing little address. 

Indeed, I must say both the lecture 
and speeches were brimful of that 
quality in which our sex is said to be 
so sadly lacking, namely — wit It be- 
ing a ladies' night, only a few men 
were accorded the privilege of express- 
ing their views. Mr. Eamoir O'Neill 
did so with "much fear and tremb- 
ling," but Dr. O'Hickey and Mr. Kent 
evidently considered discretion the 
better part of valor, and contented 
themselves by saying how beautiful 
the paper was, and tiiat they agreed 
with everything the ladies had said. 
CRISSIE M. DOYLE. 



Rockingham House. 

ARRANGEMENTS have been per- 
fected for taking over Rocking- 
ham House, Boyle, County of 
Roscommon, as a country residence for 
the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Pro- 
vision has been made for a staff of 
thirty servants, and for stable accom- 
modation for the horses of the Body 
Guard. 

Rockingham was the residence of 
Viscount Lorton, afterwards Earl of 
Kingston, when Queen Victoria came 
to the throne, and devolved through 
the Kingston family on the Kight Hon. 
Colonel King-Harman, M. P., who sat 
some time for County Dublin in Par- 
liament, and was Parliamentary Un- 
der-Secretary for Irelana at the close 
of his career. 

The mansion and its broad acres, the 
demesne comprising about 2,000 acres, 
now belong to his grandson, young 
Charles Edward Stafford, who has 
taken the surname of King-Harman. 
Miss King-Harman, an only child, was 
a lady of great culture and ability, and 
she acted in the capacity of private 
secretary to her popular and gifted 
father; but her marriage with Dr. 
Stafford, at that time a dispensary doc- 
tor in the neighborhood, deprived her 
of the estate, which has passed to her 
son. Dr. Stafford subsequently became 
Local Government Inspector, and he is 
now a member of the L<ocal Govern- 
ment Board. 

Rockingham House, which is prob- 
ably the finest residence in Connacht, 
is situate about two miles from Boyle, 
on the southeastern shores of Lough 
Key, a picturesque lake beautifully 
timbered to the water's edge. The 
Ionic style of architecture prevails 
throughout the building, the principal 
facade being adorned with a noble por- 
tico, supported by six Ionic columns, 
and there are six also at either side. 

On the northern front there is a col- 
onnade of six columns, while on the 
east there is an entrance through an 
orangery. The house is approached by 
four entrance lodges, and the principal 
entrance is through a magnificent ave- 
- nue of trees. Indeed, the whole de- 
mesne is richly planted with choice 
timber. The pheasant shooting is the 
best in the West The house, gardens, 
demesne and shooting and fishing have 
been recently let to Mr. Andrew Bar- 
clay Walker, of Liverpool, under a 
lease, made by the Land Judge's Court, 
which terminates very soon. 



The house is rich in art treasures, 
notably pictures by some of the great 
masters of the eighteenth century. 

Lough Key is the most picturesque 
of the chain of lakes connected by 
Boyle River. It contains several wood- 
ed islets, some of which have both his- 
torical and archaeolojslcal interest On 
one are the ruins of the Abbey of the 
Trinity, founded by the White Canons, 
and in which "The Annals of Lough 
Ce" were written, and on another is 
a castle once the fortress of a McDer^- 
mot chieftain. Close to the town of 
Boyle are the ruins of a once famous 
Cistercian Abbey, founded in 1161 by 
Maurice O'Duffy, which later on re- 
ceived into its community McDermot, 
Lord of Moylurg, also the Church of 
Asselyn, and a fine cromlech. Not far 
off in a cemetery by Lough Meelagh, 
lies the body of Carolan, the bard. 

Rockinghom House was burnt down 
in 1863, and then rebuilt on a terrace 
set with roses and planted with thick- 
ets of rhododendron. — Roscommon Mea- 
smffer. 



The Miser^s Mound* 

THAT clever little three-act drama, 
"The Miser's Mound," written 
by Rev. W. Delany, C. C, which 
appeared in the October GAEL, has 
been taken up by Irish societies in var- 
ious American cities and is being pre- 
sented by amateur talent before crowd- 
ed houses. The following account of 
its presentation may be taken as evi- 
dence of its popularity: 

"The Miser's Mound" was given by 
local talent, under the auspices of the 
Ladies' Auxiliary to the Ancient Order 
of Hibemains and under the dii^ction 
of Mrs a P. Bloomfleld, of this city 
(Cortland, N. Y.). To say that the im- 
mense crowd was highly pleased with 
the presentation of the drama and the 
excellent programme would be far 
from expressing the enthusiasm that 
was manifested. 

The entertainers were at their best, 
and the people were not slow in show- 
ing their appreciation. Curtain calls 
were the rule rather than the excep- 
tion, and the whole evening was one 
of greatest enjoyment to the listeners. 

Not only was there a great crowd 
present that filled the hall, the capac- 
ity of which has been largely augment- 
ed, but a very large number of people 
had to be turned away from the doors. 
The sale of tickets had to be stopped 
yesterday, as more tickets than the 
house would hold were being sold. 

In the drama all the participants did 
well. Joseph McGuire as "The Ramb- 
ler," was exceptionally pleasing. The 
greatest interest was manifested in the 
progress of tbe drama and all were 
pleased with ^t'i<^ t 

Digitized by V^OOQlC 



^ti SAOtiAt. 




By Margraret OlCeefe^ Kingn^^Uamstowtit Cork* 




An c-reAii Aimpn bt bAinc|ieAbAé t>oéz 'iia cóiiinAfóe i 
>«cÍ3Ín "oeAf t ti5to|i|iA6c •oo toÓAtinAtb CitL-Aif tie, "] 
bí injeAti A1C1 50 |iAift bjiíjit) mA|t Aitim tii|itt. Oi'óée 
nOT)LA5 Álftjte, AJUf A niAtA1|1 'nA cox>tA-ó, bí bftíjit) 

F'nA h-AonA|i te h-Aif tiA ceine, Ajuf ? A5 féAÓAitic a^ 
^ éoinneAtt tia ílo'otA^ a bt a|i ÍAf a^ a|i An ^umneói^. 
t>\ f An 50 mAit 30 t)-cí, t 5-ceAnn fjAtAim 50^ imci J 
An coinneAtt of cóniAt|i a fút, t in a h-ionA-o, if é An 
fiMX} A ftí Ann, 'nA fptxjeóijín. "ÓAin fe An-^|ieAb Af An 5-CAitín 
níió nÁji' b'ionjnA-ó: a6c ftit a |iAib v^**^*^ ^'C* ^on ni-ó a ^éAnAin, 
bí An rP'^^^S imtijte C|ié jtoinne nA futnneói^e. teif fin, 
tÁtniJ An-6|iÁif ue T>o bfíjiT) Ajwf "oo pit fí An -ooiiAf AmAé Ajuf 
1 n'-DiAi J nA fpi'oeótje, a bí aj •oeAnAih f aoi "oein VóéA tétn 1 tÁ|i 
A -oietLt. "Oo fit t)f íjixj 1 n-AnAtte An r-f AotAi|i 50 ■o-cÁimj ft 50 
bf UAá nA tóáA. Ajjuf if ^ ^" T**"^ ^ ^**^^ AtnAÓ nÁ t>éAn An f pit)- 
eÓ5 iAf5 "oí fétn Ajuf fúx) tfceAó 'f^n tiif^e An c-iAfj Ajuf t>f 151T) 
teif. Síof teó cfmAn utfje jo-o-ci, t n-t>et|ieA^ bAife, juf 
buAiteAVAf tAÍAth A^tif -DO fUA|iAx>A|i tAx> fétn Af otteÁn beAi^, 
jÍAf, Abí fAOt An toé "ofai^eAOCA. 

ílí ctjtf je 50 fAib An cAtAtn buAitue aj An iAf5 'nÁ ^éAn f é CAp- 
Att -oe fétn Ajtaf fjtAtÁin A5 ad CApAÍt Ajuf -oAt An c-fncAécAtj 
Aif , Síof tetf Af A t>Á Jtútn étjtn t>f ijxíe a ^AbÁit Af a -Of om, 
Coth ttJAt Ajtif bí f í Af A ^fotn Af 50 bftÁt teó cf íx> An ACf níof 
eA^Ufoime 'nÁ An JAOit. T)o f uj An r-eAá bÁn A|t An Jaoic a bí 
f oimtf , Ajtjf ní f u5 An ^aoiú a bí t n-A WAtj Aif , t t>-c|ieó nÁ f Aib 
cf í nótnAC tmtijte 'nuAtf a bicroAf cf í tnittiún tníte, ^caLI teif 
6*n oit#Án sÍAf . 

bAT>fó ScAff 5tj|t buAtl An r-eAé rAtAth Afíf, Ajuf -oo fUAtf 
bf Í51T) í féin Af tíf éijin 50 f Aib fotAf ní bA^ jiLe 'nÁ 5|iiAn 
meittth An c-SAtnf A^ aj foillftúJA-ó Aníof uif ti ÓonnAfc f í 
fpíOf Atxjí-óe jtétjeAtA aj f lúbAt T)óib fétn C|t é coitlcib jlAf a, -j 
Cfté jteAnncAib jCAtlA 50 f Atb ff otAnnA óotifi jlAn te cf lopcAÍ 

A5 fit Cf íotA AJtJf blÁtA Af 5a6 AOn T)Át A5 f Áf Af bf UAé 5A<b 

ff otA. t>í ftéibte ÁifT>e, 50f tnA, te féicpnc t b-f at), Asuf cat) 
A ómfCA^ t>f íjixj Af bÁf f ccAnn aca, acc ríj cóth móf teif An c- 
ftiAb féin, -| won óif -j f AtAi-óe Aif 51T) Aif . ÚÁinij lonjnAT) a 
cf oi-oe «If ti coif5 bf eÁ^tAócA Ajuf tnóf ^aóca An cíje Ajuf bA-ó 
JAif ix> 5uf tu5 f í A^Ai-ó A CApAitt Af nA f léibtib, •] f Á lóéAn An 
C'je» ASUf bA-ó jÁif iT> An fhAitl of ca é ff oipinc. "O'p A3 f í An 
c-eAÓ lAf Aniui5 T)e'n jcaca óff>A a bí óf cótfiAtf An cíj. Aéz t)o 
fCAXJ fí 1 n-Aice teip An x>of Af, Ajuf fjeon ínnci, mAf bí An Áic 
ifcij ní bA-ó 5«le 'nÁ An Áic Amui^ féin, Ajuf t>o 5'éi5in t)Í a -oa 
full A -ounA-o te neAfc An c-foiLlfCAcc. bA-ó JAifiT) 5Uf. Aifit fi 
5ut binn op a cionn, Ajuf leif pn tój p' a f liite in ÁifT)e Ajuf 
cÁinij Cf it IÁTT1 Y cof uif ti 'nuAif a connAf c f í cat> a bi Ann. 

t>i f Í Ajuf bAinf ioJAn 'nA f uit>e Af t)Á cÁCAoif ópx>A Af Áf -oÁn 
^5Uf "oo f AtnlAij bf ijixj nÁ'f ' b'féiT)if U AinjeAt 'f nA f lAiteAf 
beit níof ÁiLne 'nÁ An bAinfíoJAn fAn. bí a x)Á puiLmAf féAlcAtb 
1 5a6 T)uaL 5f UA15 A\i f>Át An óif -j aj ff oipnc f top léi 50 "o-cí 




THB olden time a poor widow resided in a nice 
little house close to the Lakes of Killamey, and 
she had a daughter named Brigid. On a cer- 
tain Christmas night when her mother was 
asleep, Brigid was alone by the fireside looking 
at the Christmas candle that was burning in the 
window. So far, so good, but in a short time 
the candle disappeared before her eyes and in 
its place appeared a robin. This startled the 
girl very much, and no wonder, but before she had time to 
move the robin had* passed out through the glass of the 
window. At this the girl acquired great courage and she 
ran out the door after the robin that was going towards 
Loch I-ein in full flight. Brigid ran with all her might uu- 
til she arrived at the brink of the lake. And the result was 
that the robin transformed herself into a fish and plunged 
into the water, and Brigid followed. Down they went 
through the depths until at length they reached the bottom 
when they found themselves on a beautiful green islana 
that was in the enchanted lake. 

No sooner had they alighted on land than the fish trans- 
formed itself into a winged snow-white steed. The horse 
stooped to his knees so that the girl could mount him with- 
out difficulty. With the girl on his back the horse pro- 
ceeded through the air lighter than the zephyrs. The white 
horse overtook the wind that was in front of him and the 
wind that was after did not overtake him, and scarcely had 
they been three minutes on this journey when they were 
three million miles from the green island. 

In a short time the horse stooped to land again and Brigid 
found herself in a world illumined by a light brighter than 
that of the mid-summer sun. She saw white spirits walk- 
ing through green woods and bright glens through which 
were runnmg streams as clear as crystal, and on the banks 
of the streams were growing flowers of every hue. In the 
distance could be seen high green mountains^ and on the 
summit of one of those mountains Brigid beheld a house 
quite as large as the mountain itself; the roof was of gold 
and the walls of silver. She was very much astonished at 
the size and gradueur of the house, and she led her horse 
toward the mountains and In the direction of the house, 
and It did not take long to reach the desired place. She 
left the horse outside the gate that was opposite the house 
and she proceeded to walk in directly, but she paused In 
amazement near the entrance, for the Interior of the house 
was even brighter than the outside, ana she had to shut her 
eyes because of the dazzling brightness. In a short time 
she heard a musical voice above her and she lifted her eyes 
and trembled at the sight that met her gaze. 

A king and queen were seated on two golden thrones on 
a platform, and Brigid thought that It was not possible for 
the angels of heaven to be more beautiful than this queen. 



All Sx^otiAt. 



An c^U&th. t>í £tiAtAi-6 éAT}A%^ com ge^t teif An caIa urn uimpi : 
Aér tií* bA-o Jite *tiÁ a cwtT) éAT>Ai5 |rétn, t)o X>í a ctioiceAfi. T)'iréA6 
bfií^iT) fUAf otitA A5tif lonjfiA^ A éitoi-óe «i|tci. 1 5-ceAtiti fjAt- 

Aim t>0 tAbA1|1 AH t>Á fplOtlAlt) (mA|t ^Á fpiOfAlX) A t>í Ann), AJUf 

T)nb|1AT>At1 te b|iÍ5i-D ueAóc éÚCA 

'ntiAift A ftí f 5 CAjAite 'n A bpA-ónAife étiitieAT>AYt " óéAT) míte 
fÁitce" fiotinpi, Ajtjf ■o'piAfHAiSeAt)A|i -oi ciAnnof a bí An c-feAn 
ci'n boéc 'nn a -otAij. fhíniJeAt)A|i Annf An jwjt b'í An áic f An Ct|i 
HA «'ós/ASuf jut^ 5'í Annf An 511^ mAijt AnAmnA ha n-^AO^At lAf 
fÁ^Ait An r-f AO^At -DOib, Agtjf nA tgijp'óe ifceAé 1 •oZ\\i nA n-ój, 
a£c AflAmnA cÍAnn nA n^Ao-ÓAÍ AiiiÁin. 

'•-Aguf/* Af fAn fií, "ci-óf«|t fCAfCA, A mjtn ó An c-ftíje 50 5- 
CAtceA^ An no^lAi^ 1 T)Ctti nA n-ój." -Ajuf teif pn "D'ofSAtt fe 
ToofiAf 6\\i A bí A bf oÍAé f Aoi éAT>A6 jotini tAifuiAft -Do'n Á|1t>An, "f 
XNibAi|ic te bitisfo féAÓAinu ifueAÓ. 'O'féAC ft, torn mAit, A^uf 
if beA^ nÁ óAitteA^ í te neAftc 5tó|tthAftAécA An tiA-DAf|ic a Icac 
fteime 'n-A f áitib, niAft bí 'oeAtt|tAth neifhe a|i An áic f An Aft p at). 

1 tÁti «A h-Áice bí AÍrófti móti, T)éAncAt)'dn Ajuf "D'AtitsiT), i 
blÁirA bÁnA 'f ctiAobAnnA stAf a A|t a mtittAd, "] f taA^ -oAoine 'n 
A uíméeAtt, A^nr eAT>Ai5 ^caUa mmpe, A5Uf ctÁi|ifeAC ói|i A5 5AÓ 
-Dtiine ACA, A^uf iAT> 50 téiti A5 feinm, A^uf a téitéf-o t>o ceót 
tiíoti f AthtAi5eAT>A|i nA 'OAoine A|t tAÍAfn fiAm. Úuj t^í Jix> fAoi 
n--oeAtiA 50 ftAtb cofon feAmfó^ címéeAtl a^ áeAnn ^aó t>tiine aca 
A^vf 50 tiAib nA f AtAi-óe A^Of An r-uftÁf -oéAnuA t)o fedoA, aóu, 
ftit A )iAt5 uAinn Aict a tuitteA^ tAbAifu f A01 n^-oeAfA x>o ^únA^ 

An X>OttAf . 

CÁini5 b^ton A cttoi-óe wptt Ajuf -o'f lAf ^ Aig fí ■oo'n jiij cAt) nA 
tAob nÁY' iéi^fiióe ^í a tmtteA^ f éióf inr, aóu T>tibAiftu An fií 50 
fAib Cfti nA n-Ó5 fto-neAth^A -o'Aoinne ó tAlAfh, A^uf , mA|tA im- 
teó^Aió f í T)o ]^Af , ÓAittf i^e í te neAftu óeóit A^uf nA ^tóijie. 

bA^ éijin "oo t>|tíSit) -oiit I n-Át|it>e a|i An eAÓ jAn niAitt, Ajtif 
if iAT> nA foCAÍ t>éi5eAnnA6 ju^ Aijiij f í nÁ : '* beAnnACc "Oe Ajuf . 
fhnifte Ajuf pÁ-DtiAi5 t€Ar." 

Af 50 bfÁC tetf An CAÓ C|1tT) An ACf, AJUf bAiÓ jAlflT) 50 |tAbAt)- 

A^ tA|i *n Áif Ann f a bAite teif An c-f tí Je céA-ónA ju^ tmti^eA-OAft 
Óum fjéAÍ 5Ai|HT) A'óéAnAm -oe, ní cúifje t>i An r-eAé 'nn a fpm- 
eóij A|iíf *nÁ f uAf teif a|i An bfumneois, Ajuf CAt) a 'óéAiif a-ó f í 
I ^í féin AÓc conneAtt nAflo'ótA^ niA|i a bí |iiAm. 

'fluAiti 'o*Ai|tt5 An mÁtAi|i An fSéAÍ t)tjbÁi|ic p juf tA-ó uAibtieA^ 
A bi'oéAnrA.'Do bftí^ix), Aóc ní ó|ieiT>peA-D An ÓAitín ó Aomne 'nÁ 
50 t^Atb fí 1 ■D-Ci'ti nA n-Ó5, A^t f ifnb, An oróóe tlo-otA^ út) 



T)'é-á5, 1 ftváit) tlu-ofon, 1 tn-t)ofcún, t)iA 'ootfi- 
nilig ijn ce-AtfAfti^t) U\ "oe $ionó-A|\, lb03, Sé-Amuf 
t>|UMgne4n, á b'-Aitnix) le p-ax)<a x>o J-Ae-oilseoifub n-A 
tiA CAttvAó f^n m^|\ f AoCíVAigteoif 'oítóe-AUAó -Atf fon 
ce^ngAt) -A 'óútóiMf . 

t)e-A5An bliA-oATi ó f oin t)o bí f é 'n a le-áf-UA6cA|\4n 
Aif Conntuxt) S^e-oase ^n Oite-áin tlip, Agup pé •ouine 
A bíAt) t^itfxe-Aó nó nÁ biAt), -a^ C|\tJinni$tit> Cum-Ainn 
$eAn ^Ae-óilseAó Oof cúin, t)o bM-ó SéAmuf 'Of i$- 
tieÁin Ulitpe-Aé, ^sup é a gcorhn^i-oe 50 'oe-Ag-gnót-Aó 
^5 múine-At) 5AÓ Aotnne te -a'|\' rhi-An ceAng-A a finp eA|\ 

I U4 ^i|\eAtfi bliA-oAfi ó goi|\i$ CAfpA-f|\4iT)e SéAmuf 

t)tiAi§neÁin, Aguf ní f Aib f é cpuinn aM|\ u\ óof-A ó -o' 

' éif 1$ -Afi c!ot)óif5 fin T)0, -j «áifv pit T)0 cp^Npn^ ff^it)*- 
An-t)Ainne ó ó4f|\A-fp-áiX)e a bí a^ T)éAn<ám -ai|\, -An tá 
poirft Oitxie 11ox)t-A5, -00 tuic pé -a^ -a -A^^xit) ^p ^n 5- 
cofin ^sup "00 b|\úi$eAt) ^suf t)o ^e^^pft-At) a AgAit) -] 
A óeAtin. O'n m-Afl-At) fo nío|\ éipig p é a|\ -a fon 50 



Her eyes were like stars, and each lock of her golden hair 
reached down to her feet She wore a garment whiter than 
the swan, but whiter than all was the color of her skin. 
Brigid viewed them in astonishment as ^as indeed natural,, 
the two spirits spoke (for they were spirits), and they 
asked Brigid to come up to them. 

When she came in their presence they tendered her a 
hundred thousand welcomes, and they asked how was the 
poor old land after them. They explained to her then that 
the land which she beheld was Tir na n-og, and that it waa 
here resided the souls of the Gaels after leaving their earth- 
ly abode, and no souls would be permitted to enter Tir na 
fir-og but the souls of the Gaels. 

"And," said the king, "you will know in future how 
Christmas is spent in Tir na n-og" And opening a golden 
door that was concealed by the drapery which hung behind 
him he asked Brigid to look in. She looked as directed and 
she nearly died of the excitement of that glorious sight that 
opened before her eyes for the magnificence of heaven it- 
self was portrayed everywhere. 

In the center was a big altar made of gold and silver sur- 
niounted by white blossoms and green boughs, and hosts of 
people around it wearing white tunics, and each having & 
golden harp, and all were playing, and such music was 
never even conceived by the denizens of earth. She noticed 
that each wore a crown of shamrocks on their head, and 
that the walls and floor were of diamonds — but before she 
could notice any more the door was closed and her heart 
filled with sorrow, and she asked the king why he would 
not allow her to feast her eyes a little longer; but the king- 
said that Tir na n-og was too sacred for any mortal of earth 
and that if she did not leave presently she would die from 
the efiects of the melody of the music and the glare of 
glory. 

She had to mount the white steed without delay and the 
last words she heard were "the blessing of God and Mary 
and Patrick to you." Away went the steed tnrough the air 
and they returned by the same route they came, and in a 
short time they were at home. To conclude the horse be- 
came a robin again, and he went up on the window and 
transformed himself Into a candle — the original form. 

When the mother heard the story she said it was only a 
dream, but Brigid would not believe from anybody that she 
was not in Tir na n-og that Christmas night 

^ it 

b-puAip fe cógA-ó Aipe -Aguf fiMOc-AlAt). If e-ApiAiifr 
T)o óúif HA gACoil^e é belt -Aif 14|\, ^guf if fx^-oA 
p-AiiAig A óuirfine beó ime-Afg g-Ae-oe^t-Aib t)ofcúin. 

llinn-An-t)éilig pó -óeAf T)e bé-Al óUAin Copc-Aige 
e-At) b'e-At) -An t)t\Ai5ne-án-Aó, -aóc if lom-OA btiA-oAin ó^ 
t-áini5 f é '-An T)út-Aig f eo. 

50 -Dcug-Ai-O "OiA f u^irhne-Af fíofjuM-óe "o'^ -An-Am. 



"t) Aíl t) A." 
I 

ZS uitfiif nA 11ox)l-A5 "oe 'b-AnbA" ni-A|\ 5AÓ uirtiift 

eile "oo'n l|\if Le-AbA|\ fo, 50 fle-Aóc|:A|\ 50 bp ío5rh4.\|\ 7 

50 CAitneArh-Aé. t)eit) -át-Af -Af rfió|\-án T)Aoine -a óloif- 

inc 50 b-puit "t).AnbA" ^5 ce-A6c -Am-Aó 5a6 mí -Af fo 

-Am-Aó. U-Á n-A 5^^''^í^5e<5i|\i'óe if peS\\\y 1 néi|\inn -a 

f C|\íob -DO "t)-AnbA." tlí f Aice-AniAifA in -Aon pÁ\pé]\\ f rtp 

Aon nít) -o^ r^^S^r córh mAit te nócAit)e -An f^i|te-A5;Aip, 

ní'l AnJ $Aet)ili5 C|\Ap-AfóCe n-á A|\ leAt p 51-At-án, -aCc 

te.vt f é^l if reAt) tiA6^igitized by V^OOgle 



Atl SACOAt. 



có1t^lf^ReA5AncAS. 

Cuifim ÓÚ5AC CAf|\-AiTi5eACC ó licit^ 'oo f Sfío^ ^ 
riéiU Oum t)Af ún SlÁine, in f^n btiA-oAin 1561. t)i ^n 
ticipfo cló"ót)UAitce in f-An "National MSS. of Ire- 
land" foinn btiA-OAn ó foin, -aóc b'tei-oif 50 t^-puit 
inót^^Án •óAOine -a^ t:ó$luini 5-Aet)iti5 -Anoif nÁ'|\ téi$ í. 
If be^snÁó i-At) nA pocAit céA-onA -00 fSjiioOp-A-o éife- 
-Ann^ó in-oiú, ^OA tn-beit) fé a^ rSf^o^ ^^^^f ^^^í^ r^j 
5it) 5Ut^|\-Alt>t1C1t^ tléiU r^fioOt-A óf cionn cfíóé-A-o 
blMt)-An ó foin. 

Zá fé óó pofuf -oo •óuine ó ÓúisetTluriiAn te 'ouine 
ó óúise Ul^it) nó óuige Óonnx\óc ^n t1C1t^ fo á tuig- 
finc, -A5ur -Aif -An ^-ótÍAf fin if cinnce 5U|\ t)'í -An 
CAinc cé-A-on-A -00 t-At>t^A■ó in éifinn 50 té1t^ in f-An 
^oif f in : 

— cnoc mAol t)onti. 

*'t)eAnnAóc Annpo óum ^n t)-Afún SUine, a^u^* turn 
ingine -An 1-AftA; -Aguf innif •oóil^ 5U|\ 5-At>mé tlCt^e-A•ó 
-An lufcíf, -Af -Aít tui5 mé n-Aó coíl leif -An luifcíf mé 
péín, no mó ticf e-At) 'oo Cu|\ f e mo f fe-Agt^J^ -a ce-Ann 
n-A t)^n|MO$n-A ; -Aguf n-Aó -áit -aó 5-Ab-Atc.Af "oo "oenAiti in 
m' fre-Af-Ann -AS«r ^" ^o •óútó-Ait), -AffiAit m-A|\ ínnif- 
ceAft -o-Am 5AÓ t-AOi gujt ^b' -Ait teif 1At^tA tll-At) 'o-a 
$A1t^m -oe. Aguf if mAit i\n -oe^t^t^-At) -Affin, óórti tUAÚ 
^5Uf t-ánic -Anluifcíf -a néijtinn, m-A|\ n^ó f-Ait)e -a friof 
-AS-Atn. If é A concf^it X)o f mne -An luif cíf . Cóiti tu-At 
^5^r t-ánic f é -A n-éif inn, m\y óui|\ ce-Aóc-A no ticif 
óug-Am-f -A t^e fsél-A é f éin -oo teóc, -aó t-ánic -Afx cúf 
inn mcout^Mt) -oo •óén-Arh 5-Ab-Atc-Aif innci, 'OAt^ teif 
f éin. Aguf if •oeirtiin 5U|\ x>eAC-Ai|\ f in T)o •óén-Aiti "oo 
toil X)é -A5 uf mif 1 m mo tí-At-Ai-ójAsuf 50 f o^^-ti^ót^ Án 
cóiít -As^tn 'OO teitcfom. Aguf "o-á m-beit -An óum if 
feft\ "oo ÓtAnn-Am tleiU -Aguf mifi 5-An -Anm^in, ní 
-oénc-A 5At>Alc-Af -Af -An óuit) -oo beit beo -Ace: Ajuf 
if minic -A d;-Aif se-A-o s-Al^-Atc-Af -oo -óén-Arfi opt^^, -Aguf 
nít^ ct\ioó-Ait)é-At) fin -a fi-Afh -ac-a. 

"misi, o néitt." 

p 1 t 1 T) e A ó c. 

A1 Stl 115. 

T)iAftn-Ait) Ua t^-1At^ptAt-A fo ó-An. 

Ceó t>|tu»t)eA6cA feot oi"óáe cum f Áin mé, 
1p A|\ itiín ceAriiAi]i tÁ^ilA ctiTH fuAtn, 

X)oni f ío]i-ÓAf Ax> 1 5-coitlrili jAn ÁiCjieAb, 

50 b|\Aoi-loc fiA t)tÁ|inAnn t)o éuA^4^f, 

T)o f íncAf coif c|iAÍnn 'n a ^iAit) blÁt ai|í, 

^juf rAoib liom 50 "o-cAinij f í f u-Af, 

^n -pío.^ATi tiiAifeAc TTiíontA bAX) biteÁjcA, 

"D'Ajt f10l]tA15 Ó Á-ÓATTl AnUAf . 

t)io5Ann mo ó|ioi"6e lonAm le h-ÁÚAf, 

•OÁ 5T1A01 nAi-oeAf tÁn-feA|ic jottiAt, 

X>Á b]tAOi5te, "OÁ |'ío'""ror5* "^^ S^^V^* 

If •oÁ cAoin-leACAin ÁlAinn jaii 5|itiAitn, 

•DÁ T)tAoi5-polT: C!«5, bui-oe, cAfCA f ÁinneAÓ — 
'S A "OA CÍ06 ÍJpuinne, btÁcthÁ|tA, C|iua"Ó— 

'356 jujt b'f'OÍ^ b-fADA í All oi-oce nío|A c-áp tionv 
"^ V>e\t A5 f ío|t-AniA|tc ÁileAóu a f ntjA-o. 



A btttt5x>eA6 «A fn?n-StAC if Áite, 

An cú -AoibiU* ó'ti m-bATi-éAttrAis tuAiSP 
An cú Ctíox)nA, nó -Aoif e, tió -Áine ? 

gAti -otosAtcAf ftiAitt bÁttt^ ttiAire ó'n ftiaAiSP 
nó Aíi AoiteAnn tuj nAOip teip i^a^i f-Áite— 

no An f ionn-<^t^utAc' irt^Ai-oreAC tiuj buAX> ? 
no An ciaibe tcAC-pA innptir a -u-rttAt -oom, 

CIA An Cif Af A -D-CAnSAir Ajt C11UA1-Ó ? 

•0'ríott.í:tAflnAib ítlíli-ó te ttA-o me, 

*n Átt t>ír5eA"ó mo cÁitt-oe éum éuAin, 
If fíof coif bAn-Aoit>»nn* T)0 jnAtAigim, 

If le -oiosf Af 50 ■DCAngA 'n fo Af cuAifX), 
•Oa tt'om 50 m-biAi^ t)íocÁin iia btÁtmÁnn,* 

'n A n-Ail -b|to5Aib Af fAi-o 50 tuAt ; 
*S An SriobA|tt) fO bi feAl 50 fÁnAÓ, 

'n A tiij Af cfti h-Áicf eAb 50 buAn. 

ACÁ ní"óeite Art m'inncin te \\ÁX} tcAC, 

mÁ'f bínn me t>o rttAÓc Aif 50 tuAt, 
50 bfttit tAOifCAO 50 b«i-6eAnmAf 'f An SpÁineAÓ, 

'S A b-pitiom-toinscAf , tÁn T)'FeAttAib cttuAi-ó, 
r\\ bÍA-ó -OAOi f eAfT)A 1 5-CIIÍ0C inif f Aitbe, 

nÁ ft)tiiocf Alt) -OA nÁmAt-o 50 tuÁt, 
»S 5titi A b-f lonh-fSÁif eAéc f íf-'-óeif e An ttlÁticA, 

T)o mAot^peAm 50 h-Aigte An buA-o. 

A f eiiTi-t^r ^^ ^t^^^S ^^ ^^ ^^ CAOtb-fo, 

Ajtif céi-ónAm tinn f iof 50 Ct^-eojAin, 

niA^ibf A5Am céA-obfuinneAtmAotfÓA fÁ •otiwix>eA6c Ann 
A n-"oAO|i-btiAt;Aib fioT)A 'juf fTÓi^í 

t)iAi'ó ptéijteAáx: 5A6 tAC Icac tf AOibneAf, 
f éAfCA 'suf f toncA, 'suf beóiti, ; 



^éafeA-o -oo-o' bttéitt«b 5An jtijineAf ; 

f A5Atm cféimfe Af peA-ó mi «Ate no *ó, 
50 'o-céix)eAX> feAt aj feAOAin mo X)Aoine, 

'S 50 x)éAnf AX) 5A6 nit) cwf a ■o-cf eo ; 
mo fséAtcA T)om jAotrA 50 h-innfCAt), v 

If mo cAoim-beAnnAcc coi-óóe iof ^^\ 
If 50 léisceAii me c|téit-tA5 f Á tiASAib, 

m-á. cf éijtn CÚ 6oiX)6e -oom -oeoin. 

■Oo jtefomAjt te 6éite An jaó poínce, 

An Aon roit nÁ f SAoitftx) 50 -oeó, 
•Oo bi f Aoitf eAih An tAC tn Af t).cimeeAtt, 

'S nA h-éin bcASA A5 Cf éijCAn a 5-ceót, 
tusfí féAéAincitó néAmfAC óéfoi-óe ottm, 

'OO téif-50in mé aj f AÍjeA-oAib cAf fóif , 
If mAf cf 106 Af mo f SCAt -oib te b-ínnpnc, 

•OÁ béAt cAnAiX) mín tujAf poj. 



» Aoibitt, -]€. Three celebrated fairy princesses. 

8 f lonn-óf utAc, the Fair-formed. The poet refers to niAm 
cf ucAC, the bride of Tailc son of Treon, the heroine of one of 
the lays of Oisin. 

•\t)ATi.Aoibinn, a locality situated south of Mallow, in the 
county of Cork, and north of Blarney, the scene of the present 
vision or dream. 

* t)iocAin nA blÁf nAnn, the Viscount of Blarney. This title 
belonged to a brapch of the MacCarthies, but was forfeited by 
them, together with the Castle and estate of Blarney, on ac- 
count of their adhesion to the fortunes of the House of Stuart 




February, 1903. 



THfe GAEL^ 



57 




MR. JOHN LANE, London, an- 
nounces a new volume by Mr. 
Nicholas P. Murphy, author of 
•*A Corner in Ballybeg." It is a story 
of London life, graphically and humor- 
ously presented. 



AN important addition has Just been 
made to the publications of the 
Catholic Truth Society of Ire- 
land in the shape of a booklet, entitled 
"J. K. L.: A Great Irish Bishop," by 
Rev. P. Coakley, O. S. A., which gives 
a very able and interesting account of 
the remarkable character and life-work 
of the Most Rev. Dr. Doyle, the gifted 
Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. 



MD'ARBOIS DE JUBAINVILLE'S 
4 great work on the .mythology of 
the Celts, which is known to 
all scholars as the best work, and 
indeed as the only authoritative treat- 
ment of the subject, has been translat- 
ed into English by Mr. R. I. Best, and 
is being published in Dublin. 

M. de Jubainville's book, which is 
only obtainable in an expensive form 
in French, is the most notable store- 
house of Irish legends in existence. 



«A 



HANDBOOK of Irish Dances 
with an E^ssay on their Origin 
and History" is the title of 
an exceedingly neat little 12mo. vol- 
ume written by Mr. J. G. O'Keefe and 
Art O'Brien, and published by Dono- 
hue & Co., Dublin. 

This work gives for the first time, 
an historical account of Irish dances; 
but it is more than this. It is a thor- 
ough guide and hand-book to the sub- 
ject, giving complete descriptions of 26 
dances and particulars of many others. 

It is the only work which, while a 
guide, also traces the origin, develop- 
ment and possibilities of the national 
dances. Chapters on dance music, on 
the various collections of traditional 
Irish airs, etc., are also added. Dances 
from Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Wexford, 



Limerick, etc.^ are described and ex- 
plained. 

The work is very complete and is the 
finest example of Dublin typography 
and printing that we have seen in a 
long time. The price is one shilling in 
pft>er covers, two shillings in cloth. 



IN a recent number of St. Stephen's" 
there is an article entitled "Two 
Irish Heroines and a Benefactor," 
by Dr. George Sigerson, F. R. U. I., 
which will be read with special in- 
terest. It gives the translation of an 
octavo pamphlet recently examined by 
the distinguished author in the "Bibli- 
otheque Nationale," of Paris. 

The pamphlet was printed in Paris, 
and at Orleans in 1642, at a time when 
Charles I. and the English Parliament 
were at strife, when Ormond repre- 
sented the King in Dublin, with a 
Parliament behind him, and when 
many of the nobles of the Anglo-Irish 
Pale had been driven into confederacy 
with their ancient foes, the Gaelic 
Chieftains. 

The pamphlet gives an account of 
the siege of the Castle of Knocklincb 
by the Earl of Ormond at the head of 
4,500 men, and of its heroic defence by 
fifty men inspired by the courageous 
example set them by Lady de Lacy. 
The second of uie Irish heroines whose 
exploit Dr. Sigerson chronicles is the 
Lady Mary FitzGerald, wife of Sir 
Luke FiXzGerald, whose defence of the 
fortress of Tecroghan, in Meath, he re- 
fers to. 

The Irish benefactor, who is intro- 
duced by Dr. Sigerson is Jean de Colo- 
gan or MacCologan de Kilcolgan, who 
is described in another pamphlet in the 
"Bibliotheque Nationale" as "a gentle- 
man descending from the ancient and 
noble families of Ireland who were ex- 
patriated on account of their religion 
at the time of the Revolution under 
King James, born at Tenerifie, one of 
the Canary Isles, where his family set- 
tled and possesses considerable es- 



tates." The pamphlet contains a rec- 
ord of the gratitude of some of the 
emigrant French nobles for MacColo- 
gan'6 kindness towards them when ex- 
iled during the Rebellion.— Daiiy Inde- 
pendent, 

ONE of the most recent Gaelic 
League publications is "Dubh- 
altach MacFirbisIgh,'* which is 
issued in the Popular Booklet Series. 
The book has been written by Eoghan 
Ua Neachtain (Owen O'Naughton), 
and he has done his work well. It 
deals with the life and works of this 
noted Irish scholar, who was the au- 
thor of, amongst others, the Great 
Book of Genealogies and the "Chroni- 
cum Scotofum." 

Mr. Ua Neachtain has gathered to- 
gether in his little booklet all that is 
known of MacFirbisigh, whose sad and 
violent death in 1670 at the hands of 
Croftan in a shop at Dunflin has ever 
awakened the sympathy of his coun- 
trymen. Some helpful notes and a 
fairly copious vocabulary are added to 
the text. The little book is published 
at twopence. 



44 



ATHER TOM of Connemara" is 

the title of a charming story 

of life on the west coast of 

Ireland, written by Mrs. Elizabeth 

O'Reilly Neville and published by 

Rand & McNselly, Chicago. 

Father Tom was an ideal Irish priest 
who identified himself intimately with 
the interests of the community, wept 
with the sorrowful, laughed with the 
happy, and when it was necessary act- 
ed the part of a reformer with a mus- 
cular hand. 

The story is so charmingly and in- 
terestingly told one feels the authoress 
has not acquired her information at 
second hand. 

Mrs. Neville resides at Whiting, Ind., 
and has been engaged by her publish- 
ers to prepare a history of Ireland suit- 
able for use in parochial and public 
schools. 

Digiti: 



Xfl UOC 111. pOkAWAAAa* «»*AVt ^U 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



58 



THE GAEU 



February, J903* 



THE second annual report of the 
Inf/hinidhe na h-Eireann, Just is- 
sued, records much good and 
useful work, accomplished for Ireland 
by this young and vigorous Society 
during the past twelve months. 

In addition to the history and lan- 
guage classes, dancing and singing 
classes were started, with the result 
that at all the Irish concerts organized 
in and around Dublin the Inghinidhe 
tia h'Eireann Children's Choir and 
dancing quartettes were popular at- 
tractions. 



regarded the "unique" "Tempest,*' 
printed in Dublin in 1725, as the first 
of the plays of the Bard of Avon, print- 
ed in Ireland, but the dates of the 
three volumes referred to prove their 
priority. The lot was knocked down 
to^Mr. Pearson, a well-known book- 
seUer in London for |1,774 (£355). 



^^TMMIGRATION of the Irish Quak- 

X era indx> Pennsylvania, 1682-1750, 
with their Early History in Ire- 
land," ie the title of a volume by Al- 
beit Oook Myers, published by tíie 
author at (Swarthmore, Pa., |3.50 net). 

Mr. Myers has brought great skill 
and industry to the ligfbting up of a 
small comer in the religious (history 
of England and America, anid to the 
«xcavation of geneaCo^^lcal matter in- 
tereisting to & large number of fami- 
lies. While the early Immigrations of 
English and Welsh Quakers into Penn- 
sylvania have found historianB, the 
Irish inflow has received little atten- 
tion, &Itlhough it producefd a statesman 
like James Logan. 

After outlining the early history of 
the Quakers in Ireland and describloK 
thehr inducements to emigrate cund the 
hard conditions under which they 
crossed the Aitlantic, Mr. Myers de- 
scribes their new homes and meeting- 
houses, and with the aid or original 
documents presents some very curious 
pictures of the new social life on 
which they entered. These Irish 
Quakers made good pioneers. Little 
accustomed to peace and comfort at 
home, they did not look for It at; once 
in Penn's colony. 

The book is a mine o^ quaint Infor- 
mation and family history, and mem- 
bers of the Quaker families of More, 
Mareh, McMillan, Pym, LightfocA, 
"BhepiMird, Calvert, Ohandlee, Garnei* 
and many othera are sure to find In it 
matter of personal interest. 



AT Southby's Auction Salerooms, 
London, recently, great interest 
was excited in the offer of three 
of Shakespeare's plays printed in Dub- 
lin in 1721. They were "Caesar," 
"Othello," and "The Tempest"— tiny 
volumes without boards, and evidently 
acting versions. 

Hitherto bibliographers have always 



Drawing of Prizes* 

A GRAND drawing of prizes will 
take place at the Maghernahely 
schools, Bessbrook, Newry, Ire- 
land, on February 16th. All holders 
of tickets are requested to kindly re- 
turn duplicates at once to the Honor- 
ary Secretaries at the above address. 

For this well-known centre of Irish 
linen industry containing a large 
working population, a convent axft 
schools are a real necessity. The 
Bazar has been organized with the ap- 
proval and under the patronage of His 
Eminence Cardinal Logue, and is be- 
ing conducted by the Rev. Thomas Mc- 
Donald, C. C, assisted by Rev. T. 
Rogers, C. C; Rev. P. Lyons, C. C; 
Rev. Mother Agnes O'Halloran, Con- 
vene of Mercy, and others. 

Cardinal Logue in his letter of ap- 
proval said: 

"Those who aid you in carrying out 
this project may rest assured that they 
are contributing to a real work of 
charity. There are few places where 
the devoted labors of the good Sisters 
are more necessary, or where they can 
produce more abundant fruits. 

"Besides the children, whose educa- 
tion is to be provided for, there is a 
large working population of young 
girls, to whom the care and direction 
of the Sisters will be invaluable. Hith- 
erto the good nuns have been laboring 
under very serious disadvantages. • 
They have been obliged to use a farm- 
house as their convent, and its offices 
as their schools. Thus hampered for 
room they could not possibly carry out 
either their community duties, .the in- 
struction of the children, or the care 
of the young mill-workers with all the 
efficiency and success which would oth- 
erwise attend their efforts." 

Special efforts have been made to se- 
cure prizes of Irish material and 
manufacture. Among the prizes are 
an Irish harp, by McFall, Belfast; a 
shamrock Bicycle, a set of Irish pipes, 
by O'Mealy, of Belfast, while the 
woollen, linen and lace Industries, etc., 
are also represented by valuable prizes. 

We hope this deserving enterprize 
will meet with a generous response 
from the charitable public. 



Pipers^ Club Concert 

THE first Irish concert of instru- 
mental music has been given by 
Cumann na bPiohari in the 
Larj;e Concert Hall, Rotunda, Dublin. 
There was a crowded attendance. The 
first item, a concerted selection of 
pipes and fiddles, was rendered by 
Messrs. Kent, Doran and O'Toole. A 
double Jig by Misses CahiU and Mac- 
Quillan and Messrs. Doran and Cos- 
grove followed. Miss May Carroll sang 
"The Coolin" beautifully. Mr. Owen 
Lloyd played selections on the large 
harp, including his celebrated "Chan- 
ter's Tune" and "Brian Boru's March." 

Miss D. Kearns, of the Oireachtas 
Choir, was much applauded for her 
singing of "£fa Mhuirnin Dilis,'* An 
unusual item, the Kelly's three-hand 
reel, brought down the house. They 
danced a hornpipe for an **aris" Miss 
May Reidy, Sch., R. I. A. M., played a 
very effective selection of Irish airs on 
the 'cello. 

A recitation^ "Pinch and Caoch 
O'Leary," by Cathal MacOarvey, pro- 
voked a storm of applause, to which 
he had to respond with another, this 
time a humorous piece. Pat MacCor- 
mack, of Ardee, specially brought up 
for the occasion, delighted the audience 
with his playing on a double-chanter 
set of pipes. He also played for the 
four-hand reel of the Colmcille Branch 
of the Gaelic League. 

James Ennis, of Naul, rendered sev- 
eral Irish airs and quick tunes very 
sweetly on the flute. A hornpipe by 
Mr. Charles Cosgrove, of the club, was 
vociferously encored. A great novelty 
was the singing to pipes accompani- 
ment of "An maidrin Ruadh" and ''Cad 
nDeanfamaoid" by Mr. Thomas Car- 
rin, of Dungarvan. Mrs. Kenny (fld- 
dler), many times prize winner, was 
heard to advantage in "The Black- 
bird," 'The Dear Irish Boy" and "The 
Groves" (reel). 

We have specially omitted so far all 
mention of the great "star" artistes of 
the evening, Tom Fitzgerald (fiddler, 
Co. Clare), and Martin ReiUy (piper. 
Gal way). The former was a revelation 
of traditional playing to a Dublin au- 
dience — he made the violin speak with 
the "Irish voice." Martin Reilly is our 
last truly, great piper. His perform- 
ance of the famous "Fox Chase" was a 
relic of the old times. His "Battle of 
Aughrim," a vividly descriptive piece 
of playing, is likely to be spoken of in 
Dublin Gaelic circles for many a long 
day. It is to be hoped this veteran 
blind piper may be given opportunities 
of displaying his skill during the com- 
ing year in all parts of Ireland. 



February, Í903. 
( 



THE GAEL. 



59 



To the Winter Resorts ^South 



OUTMERN 
PAILV^AY 



TO THE 
RESORTS SOUTH 

Florida 

New Orleans 
California 
Mexico 
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TMEOKY AMD 

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Thesvr^'lce of the Souiitcro fi^tiway is ththi£hcit 

eeyieiopment of fuxuriotts txUwajr travcí. Tfit 
>outtiera's roatíbi>ií is tim bcMt and its scitettiite 
the fantest Ip tftí^ t^niirf Soatit. w ft tie its Ptiilmans 
are tise laitMt mad f/nvxt. its DioingCars arc otiijm 
iiigfieiit stáfídarff. Ifte scenic Mtlrm^iofi» are 
ttumhtrtesA and attritaiieií. 



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and California. Pullman Sleeping 
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Special Annex Car. Observation Car New York 
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Pinehurst, Asheville ["Tiri^l, Three fast 

Memphis, ^^ press trains gi ving^ all 

Hot Springs^ the comfort and luxuries 
Ark. ^f modern travel. 

Leaving New York daily for the greatest 

health resort in America, 



Augusta, Aiken* Camden, Summerville, Charleston, Jekyll Island, 
Thorn asvi Me, Florida, Nassau and Cuba. Three superbly equipped fast trains 

during the tourist season, giving the most sati.-^factory schedule. Sleeping and Dining Car 
Service to the. Winter Resorts of Georgia, the Catolinas and Florida. Connections both at 
Maiini and Tampa with the Peninsular and Occidental Line for Key West, Havana and Nassau. 

"The Southern's Palm Limited" Leaving New York daily, except Sunday, at 1*2:40 
noon. This magnificent train, the most luxurious in the world, runs through solid from 
New York to St Augustine The train is composed of Pullman compartment cars, drawing 
room sleeping cars, library, observation and dining cars, with every convenience and luxury. 
On the trains will be operated a Pullman drawing and stateroom car, New York to Aiken 
and Augusta. 

NEW YORK offices: 271 and 1185 BROADWAY. 



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62 



THE GAEL, 



February, J903. 



The Gael 

(^n SAO-OAt.) 

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New York Irish Literary- 
Society. 

THE need has long been felt for 
the foundation of a Society 
in New York with the objects 
(1) of affording a centre of social and 
literary intercourse for persons of Irish 
nationality or descent; and (2) of pro- 
moting the study of the Irish language, 
Irish history, Irish literature, music 
and art, and the keeping alive of Irish 
nationality. 

Persons of any nationality who, in 
the opinion of the membership com- 
mittee, possess special qualifications 
for belonging to the Society, may be 
admitted as associates. The subscrip- 
tion for city members will be five dol- 
lars a year; for non-resident members 
three dollars a year; and for associates 
two dollars a year. 

The aim of the Society will be to de- 
velop and foster the intellectual re- 
sources of Ireland and of Irishmen in 
Ireland and in America and to stimu- 
late original work of Irishmen in the 
United States. 

It is proposed that during each sea- 
son lectures shall be delivered before 
the members of the Society and that 
historical classes shall be organized 
to meet every month or twice a month, 
when papers will be read and discuss- 
ed. It will be the aim of the Society 
to advance the cause of social assem- 
blys, musical meetings and art exhi- 
bitions, as well as to have lectures for 



its members. All kindred enterprises 
will have its loyal sympathy and sup- 
port. It will be able to act more or 
less in co-operation with the Irish Lit- 
erary Society of Dublin and with the 
Irish Literary Society of London, both 
of which have been splendid successes 
since their formation. The Society will 
also be a home and place ol cheer and 
welcome and hospitality for visiting 
Irishmen, and when occasion offers it 
will welcome Irishmen prominent in 
the Irish literary movement which is 
to-day attracting attention in all Eng- 
lish-speaking countries and members 
of the Gaelic League and all persons 
interested in the sacred cause of Irish 
nationality. 

It is planned to have a library, a lec- 
ture room and a meeting room at a 
moderate rent, say fifty to seventy-five 
dollars per month, with a librarian in 
charge, with the rooms open day and 
evenings, aild that gradually .pictures 
'and objects of interest relating to 
Irishmen, and above all a library of 
standard Irish literature and the cur- 
rent publications of Ireland will be 
gathered together and made accessible 
to the members of the Society and 
their friends. 

Lectures delivered and papers read 
before the Society will be published as 
pamphlets, or in book form, and sent 
free to all active, associate, and non- 
resident members. 

The Society will be non-political' and 
non-sectarian. 

It is proposed to incorporate the So- 
ciety under the Membership Corpora- 
tion Law of the State of New York. 



With these objects in view, it is pro- 
posed to hold a meeting for the pur- 
pose of perfecting the temporary or- 
ganization of the Society and appoint- 
ing the committees charged with the 
duty of providing for it "a local habi- 
tation and name.'^ 

All persons who have been spoken 
to about this venture have expressed 
surprise that such á society as con- 
templated had not been organized be- 
fore, and have stated that the Society 
would have their cordial good wishes 
and that they would Join with their 
fellow- workers in carrying forward the 
good work. 



'HE record for longevity in Ireland 
is held b> the province of Con- 
nacht. The latest census returns 
show that there are in the five coun- 
ties which go to make the western pro- 
vince, no fewer than 102 persons who 
claimed to be "100 years old and up- 
wards," 41 of whom were males and 61 
females. 

Under the heading of ''95 and under 
100" we find a total of 245, while 813 
advanced a claim to figure under the 
heading of "90 and under 95." The 
counties of Oalway and Mayo tie in the 
matter of centenarians with a total of 
35 each, while, strange to say, in the 
number of those who are over 95 and 
under 100 they are again almost .equal, 
the former county holding 79 as 
against the latter's 71. 

It is interesting to notice In this con- 
nection that the detailed census of the 
county of Surrey, England, which is 
in great part urban, discloses that in 
1901 the population of the county was 
about eqtlal to that of Connacht, but 
had only four females and one male 
who claim to be centenarians. 






AGGRESSIVE — INDEPENDENT — OUTSPOKEN. 
IRELAND'S MOST REPRESENTATIVE PAPER. 



€€\ 



»» 



A Weekly Review of Current Attain, Politics, Literature, Art 

and Industry 



I»I«IOE5 OIVE5 r^E^NTNTlir. 



" The ideal of The Leader is a Self-GoverninK and Irish Ireland. Its contributors 
include many of the ablest Irishmen of the day. It deals with all phases of Irish 
life. It advocates the reptoration of the Irish language. One of its features is an 
article in Irish every week." 

Tike Leader ^W be sent post free to any address in the United States, 
Canada, or Mexico one year for 8s. 8d. — shorter periods in proportion. 
Address : Thk Manager, 200 Grbat Brunswick Street, Dubinin. 



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Digitized by V^OO^IC 



February, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



63 -.Í 



J. M. COLLINS, High-Class TAILOR, 

Large Selection of IRISH TWEED SUITS, from 37/6 to 55/- 
CLERICAL TAILORZITG A SPECIALTY. 

'"c.^.:r'22 PATERNOSTER ROW. LONDON E.G. '"c.^J"." 

Carriage Paid to the United States. 



Irish History in Schools* 



44^^ 



^EACH Irish History in the 
American Parochial and Pub- 
lic Schools." This was the un- 
animous opinion of the delegates to 
the meeting of the United Irish Socie- 
ties of Hudson County, held in Hum- 
boldt Hall, Newark Avenue, Jersey 
City. 

The meeting was well attended. Mr. 
Patrick O'Mara presided. Mr. Larkins 
acted as secretary. Speeches were 
made by the Rev. William T. McLaugh- 
lin, rector of St. Augustine's Roman 
Catholic Church, Union Hill; the Rev. 
James A. Kelley, of St Michael's R. C. 
Church; Patrick O'Mara, former Di- 
rector of the Board of Freeholders 
Michael B. Holmes, Corporation Coun- 
sel James F. Minturn, of Hoboken; 
State President James F. Brennan, of 
the Ancient Order of Hibernians; and 
National President James B. Dolan, of 
the same Order. 

Mr. O'Mara was the first speaker. He 
said the object of the meeting was to 
discuss and also propose the advance- 
ment of the study of Irish history in 
American parochial and public schools. 
He told of some of the parochial 
schools in which it is being taught to- 
day and said he hoped all would adopt 
the same study shortly. 

Father McLaughlin was Introduced 
and said he was one of the first to in- 
troduce the study in the parochial 
schools, and the first one to introduce 
it in Hudson County. He said the pu- 
pils of his school in Union Hill study 
it now and they are apparently very 
much interested with it. 

Father McLaughlin said there are 
35,000 children attending parochial 
schools in New Jersey. 

Secretary Larkins offered a resolu 
tion advising the systematic teaching 
of Irish History in both parochial and 
public schools, ii was adopted unani- 
mously. 

A committee was appointed to wait 
upon the Bishop, Archbishop and 
school boards. — Jersey City News. 




"W" 



ITCHCRAFT and Second 
Sight," uy the late John 
Gregerson Campbell (Mac- 
millan), is a comprehensive collection 
of surviving superstitions in the high- 
lands and islands of Scotland, and is 
based entirely upon tales and tradi- 
tions collector from oral sources. Be- 
sides second sight and witchcraft, 
ghosts, goblins, spells, and charms 
have their respective chapters. The 
following weird story of a headless 
ghost is reprinted: 

At the shore and forming part of the 
boundary between North and South 
Morar, on the west coast of Inverness- 
shire, there is a large rocky mound 
{enoc mor creige), which was long the 
cause of terror in the district. At the 
base of the mound a road can be taken 
along the shore when the tide is out. 
No one, however, taking it along after 
nightfall lived to tell the tale. His 
remains were found next nay among 
the large boulder stones (comach mor 
clUach), of which the shore is full, 
mangled, and bearing traces of a ghast- 
ly and unnatural death. Persons who 
had the second sight looking over the 
rocks that overhung the shore said 
they saw a phantom or "something" 
haunting the place, having the shape 
of a headless human figure. Macdonall 
or MacCuil, as he is styled, of South 
Morar {Mac DhugJiaUl mfiorair), whose 
house was not far from the scene of the 
Headless Body's violence, unexpectedly 
became the means of expelling it from 
its haunt 

But the feat was not accomplished 
without a preliminary tragedy: 

He was one winter evening unex- 
pectedly visited by a friend. He had 
no one to send to Bracara, across the 
river, to invite some more friends to 
come and Join in the entertainment of 
his guest, but his son and heir, then 
about eighteen years of age. He strict- 
ly enjoined the youth not to return 
that night unless men came with him, 
for fear of the Headless Body. The 
young man did not find the friends he 
was sent for at home, and with the te- 
merity natural to his years, came back 
alone. The Body met him and killed 
him, and in the morning were found 
traces of a fearful struggle, large 
stones displaced and clots of blood, as 
if the youth had put out his heart's 
blood. MacCuil made a solemn vow 
neither to eat nor drink till he avenged 
his son's death. 

All that evening his friends tried to 
persuade him to remain at home, but 
to no purpose. The Headless Body 
never appeared but to those who pass- 



ed alone, and the chief's friends had 
to return while he went on unaccom- 
panied to the haunted rocks. The Body 
came out and said: "You have come to 
take your son's ransom ieiriC}; take 
counsel, and go home." To this the 
chief replied by clasping his arms 
round the hated apparition. A furious 
struggle commenced, and to this day 
the stones may be seen which were 
rolled out of their way in the dread 
encounter. At last the strong and fear- 
less chief got the Headless Body un- 
der, and drew his dirk to stab it The 
Body cried: "Hold your hand, Mac- 
Cuil, touch me not with the iron, and 
while there is one within the twentiertb 
degree related to you {air an fhichea^ 
damh tniar) in Morar, I will not again 
be seen. 

The ghost apparently kept troth: 
When this story was heard some 
years ago, there were only two alive 
within this relationship to the ancient 
chief, one a harmless idiot, the other 
a poor woman In Fort William. One 
or the other of them must be still 
alive, for the headless ghost has not 
yet made its reappearance. The per- 
son from whom it was heard was a 
firm believer in its truth, and in his 
youth, half a century ago, was well ac- 
quainted with the district in which the 
events were said to have occurred. He 
had learned and practiced the tailoring 
trade there. 



To Our Readers* 

THE GAEL is unique and unexcelled. 
There Is no other Irish magazine at 
any price so good or so interesting. 

Tell your frienas about it You will 
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If you think some of them would like 
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order for $1.00 to THE GAEL, 140 Nas- 
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64 



THE GAEL. 



Februarjr, J903. 



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Correctly If odelled aooordtng to the ancient historic 
Harps in the National Collection of Antiquities. 
Played with snooeas at the recent Pels Ce>il and 
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Industrial Notes» 

IRISH industrial figures make inter- 
esting reading. The fish crop would 
support the country if it were sen- 
sibly harvested. But only 12,000 per- 
sons are engaged in fishing. Nearly 3,- 
000,000 tons of potatoes are raised an- 
nually on 700,000 acres oi land, and 
when there is a poor potato crop^ desti- 
tution ensues. 

Less than a quarter of a century ago 
the potato acreage was over 850,000. 
About 60,000 acres are pi^t in wheat, 
17,000 in barley, 1,100,000 in oats. 11,- 
000 in rye, 2,300 in beans, 300,000 in 
turnips, 70,000 in beets, 60,000 in cab- 
bage, 50,000 in fiaz and 13,000,000 in 
grass for hay and permanent pasture. 

The live stock includes 600,000 
horses, 5,000,000 cattle. 4,500.000 sheep 
and 1,250,000 pigs. Bee-keeping is be- 
coming an active industry, the annual 
yield being over half a million pounds. 



REV. PETER YORKB in his per- 
sonal organ of vituperation re- 
fers to John Boyle O'Reilly and 
Archbishop Ireland in connection with 
the American Catholic Congress of 1589 
(which he erroneously says was held 
"some fifteen years ago") and does in- 
justice to both the living and the dead. 
Of the noble O'Reilly he says: "The 
Puritans did well when they took up 
O'Reilly and patronized him. He did 
more than Cromwell to un-Irish the 
Irish. He may not have meant it, but 
his eyes were closed to the fact that 
Anglo-Irishism is a kind of English- 
ism, not a kind of Irishism." What 
claptrap! A few years ago we expect- 
ed better things of Father Yorke than 
attacking the best men of the Irish 
race. — The Irish Standard, Minneapolis. 



Titstnicticit in Qaelic. 

Lessons In Gaelic given at your home by 
an experienced teacher of the language. 
Terms Reasonable. Write to 

M. J. O'SULLIVAN. 

216 E. 80th St , New York 



GAEL ADVERTISING RAXES 

IN IRELAND AND GREAT BRITAIN. 



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ONE 



5x^e'ó1t5e. 

Trisi) texts Society, 

Established for the publication of Irish Texts, 
with English Translations, Notes and Glos- 
saries. 

I»TJB3:.IO-A.TI03SrS- 

Vol. I.— **5iottA An fiugA" 1 '*e-dó- 
cnxjL cloinne nig tiA h-iontiAfóe." 
Two 1 6th and 17th century Romances, Ed- 
ited by Douglas Hyde, LL. D. (Issued 
1899). 

VoL II.— "ptex) bnicnenx)." Edited by 
George Henderson. M. A., Ph. D. .(Is- 
sued 1899). 

Vol. III.— '"o-áncd AO"óA5^in uí ttdt- 
Altte." Complete Edition.Editcd by Rev 
P. S. DiNNEEN. M. A. (Issued 1900). 

Vol. IV.— "poRAs jre-As-d -ar éminn," 
or Geoffrey Keating's " History of Ire- 
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NEW YORK, APRIL, Í903. 



TWENTY-SECOND YEAR 
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THE 

BANSHEE'S BRIDAL, 





A LEGEND OF BREFNL 



By Nora Chesson, 




It is a legend — nothing more; 

It may be false or true; 
It may be but an Idle tale ^ 

By one with naught to do. 

VER the low fire in the 
middle ot the waste 
place, that had been a 
banquet-hall, couched 
Hugh O'Rourke! he 
was wet and chilled to 
the bone with a long 
ride through moun- 
tain mists in the heart of Winter. 
There was Winter in his heart, too, for 
his ! sept was a broken one and his 
name proscribed, and, where his father 
mig^t haye held together the breaking 
fortunes of name and clan by the sheer 
pow^r of voice and face, Hugh the 
younger had been borne by his mother 
In a time of tempest and terror, and 
his face was wan and uncomely and 
his eyes wild and sad. 

He held his hands to the fire, but 
there was little warmth in it, and there 



was no comfort elsewhere in all the 
great house where he dwelt, a little 
kernel in a great shell made for one 
fairer and stronger far than he. 

He took up his sword and laid it 
across his knees, looking at it with 
weary eyes, for his was not the sol- 
dier's nature, and many a time had his 
heart sickened at the thought of battle 
and blood, though he was a pretty 
fighter when the red time came and 
men were cheering and grappling to- 
gether for the Red Hand and the Wolf. 

But to Hugh now, in this chill of 
doubt and danger, the old lights seem- 
ed dim and there was no new star ris- 
Ing, and he fell to wishing that he had 
died in the birthing, or ever his moth- 
er set her cold kiss upon his unwel- 
come face. 

"My father did not well to take a 
woman by force," he said aloud to the 
sinking fire that was all his company. 
"Black eyes and yellow hair pleased 
bim well, belike, but he pleased not 



my mother, and she revenged her up* 
on me who was innocent and unborn, 
giving me an April mind and a craying 
heart for her gifts on the day that she 
conceived me. That I was little and 
ugly hurt not me, nor that I was sick- 
ly, for my father loved me as well as 
he loved handsome Diarmid, who is 
dead— and God rest him! But that I 
was born of anger and fear hurts me 
sore, and I shall abye it to the end. 
Who enters there, in the name of Qod 

?" He sprang up, sword in hand, 

and then laughed at his outcry, for it 
was a girl-child who stood in the door- 
way, a little maid of eleven years, fair 
to see, white as a snowdrop, with pale 
yellow hair streaming from under her 
put-back hood. 

"Little maid, you come to an empty 
house," Hugh O'Rourke said, "but you 
are welcome. You do not come alone?" 

"I come alone, Aodh," she said, an- 
swering his English with the Irish 
tongue. "I shall jiot (lUj^oj^lhouse." 
Digitized by 



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98 



THE GAEL. 



April, J903. 



Hugh stood still beside the fire while 
she came slowly down the room to- 
wards him, shaking the rain-drops 
from her flowing hair as she came. A 
little way from the fire she stood, look- 
ing at him with large eyes. 

"Why do you meet me with bare 
steel?" she said. "I looked for other 
greeting from your father's son, Hugh 
O'Rourke." 

Hugh cast down his sword upon the 
bench he had risen from and took a 
step forward to meet her. Then he 
stopped, amazed, for it was not a child 
she was, but a grown woman it was 
that cast off hood and cloak and came 
to him with eager face and eager 
hands. 

"Hugh O'Rourke," she said, again in 
the kindly Irish tongue, "have you for- 
gotten me so soon?" 

"Have I ever seen you before, O fair 
one?" Hugh said. Then, because her 
fingers were warm in his and her eyes 
dwelt on his, he ceased questioning 
and had no more wonder or fear at the 
fairy change that had passed upon her 
in a moment, making a woman out of 
a child. 

"I am she you have desired so long," 
she said, with tears and laughter in 
her voice. "I am she whose eyes you 
have seen in many faces that looked 
not kind on you, whose breast you 
have desired to lie on so many times, 
whose soul your soul has sought and 
never found. And never would you 
have found me in this life, beloved, if 
I had not sought you out. Your name 
means light, Hugh, but there was 
thick darkness on your own eyes till 
to-night. Now" — she fitted the deed 
to the word — "now I have kissed them, 
can they see?" 

And she laid her mouth to his mouth 
and the beaUng heart of her fiuttered 
like a bird against his breast, and the 
fairy .egrea of her darkened and laughed 
and lightened into his and set all his 
blood on fire. 

A little while they clung together 
so; then he put her from him and held 
her at arm's length, looking at her 
with eyes that were an-hungered. 

"Is there a spell of silence upon you, 
Hugh?" cried the woman. "Speak to 
me, beloved, and look the while!" 
.*;'>iight I die looking!" Hugh said. 
"I ^should not then think— and grow 
cold to think — of nothing on the other 
liae," 

"Nothing? Where is your faith, 
O.'Rourke?" 

"My mother taught me no faith, fair 
one. My father taught me only sword- 



play, and myself has taught myself to 
distrust myself, and no more." 

"Learn faith in yourself, then, of me, 
O'Rourke. Shall I not be on that other 
side you speak of? For I came thence 
to-night." 

"If I dared only think it, beloved," 
Hugh said. "Yet you have mortal 
beauty upon your face and body." 

"What do you know of mortality, 
Hugh O'Rourke? And beauty is that 
core of our little life that cannot pass 
away, though the fruit that covers it 
turn rotten after growing ripe. Kiss 
me — nay, but only with your eyes, be- 
loved — and tell me how mortal I am." 

He kneeled down beside her now and 
cast his arms about her fair body as 
she sat in his seat, looking up at her 
with eyes that changed slowly their 
wonder for worship. Then he loosed 



a hand and drew down a thick curl of 
yellow hair to his lips and presently 
blindfolded his eyes with its softness. 

"I am answered," the woman said, 
at last. "That which is not mortal in 
you has spoken to me immortal, and 
we know one another. So" — she drew 
the bandage of hair from his eyes and 
smiled down into them — "you love me, 
Hugh?" 

"If I know what love is, beloved." 

"You know the better now for hav- 
ing waited to know it. Men have lost 
their souls learning their lesson too 
early. You shall lose only your body, 
Hugh." 

"Not a sore loss, beloved. My body 
has served me long enough." 

"Yet I was drawn to that body. 
Hugh. It has not served you all so 
ill, beloved." She uncovered his eyes 




HUGH KNEELED DOWN BESIDE HER. 



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April, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



99 



and looked deep Into them, laughing. 
*'I am beauty and I am loye, and I 
hare chosen to He on the bosom of a 
man whom the tongue of the world 
knows not— a dreamer who has achiev- 
ed none of his dreams, a soldier whose 
Bword has won him nothing — and there 
is beauty and success and strength In 
the world outside. How Is it you can 
keep me here, Hugh?" 

"Sweet, I shall never know." 

"Hush, unbeliever! Let us be man 
and woman together for a little. My 
feet are cold^ and I have hunger and 
thirst upon me, Hugh. Are you alone 
here?" 

"I have two serving-men." 

"You shall be my serving-man to- 
night. Let your men sleep, and we 
will eat our marriage-feast together." 

"But you are cold, beloved. Let me 
bring wood to mend the fire." 

"Nay; bring me food and drink, and 
let be the fire. You shall warm my 
hands in your hands, Hugh, when we 
have eaten together." 

"Dear, what will you eat? There is ^ 
only coarse bread here, but I have red ' 
wine in my butt, and there is honey 
in the comb, I think, and store of 
apples in the loft—Winter Queenlngs, 
and the like." 

"Bring me here the bread and wine 
and honey, beloved, and we will make 
a wedding-feast of these. And bring 
me a Winter Queening that we may 
play ball with it when we have eaten. 
Are you quick-handed at the ball-play- 
ing, Hugh?" 

"With you, maybe, beloved. I have 
been slow at all games until to-day." 

He went out, and came back soon 
with the bread and wine in a basket 
on his arm, the apple in his hand, and 
a silk coverlet over his shoulder. He 
laid the quilt down at her feet 

"This for your carpet, beloved. Now 
will you eat?" 

She drank half the cup of wine that 
he poured out, and Hugh drank after 
ber; then they broke bread and ate the 
honeycomb together. 

"We have eaten and drunken and 
you have not asked my name." she 
said, when their meal was finished. 
"Is it that you are very wise or a fool, 
Hugh O'Rourke?" 

"Herein I was a wise man, beloved." 

"Tell me my name, Hugh?" 

"Oranla, maybe, because you shine 
BO bright, beloved?" 

"No." 

"Esca, then, because your face is as 
pale as the moon when she is young?" 

"Not Esca. Have you heard ever of 



a woman that was bitterly wronged of 
an O'Rourke long ago, and died curs- 
ing him, and has come back and back 
to cry for the passing oft every 
O'Rourke since then?" 

"I have heard of her, beloved." 

"I am she, the banshee of your 
house, Hugh O'Rourke; but for you I 
shall not cry. Barren years have I 
abided in mine anger, but now I lift 
my curse, for my love is put upon a 
man of the house that wronged me. 
Do you take me for your wife, 
O'Rourke, knowing this?" 

"I take you to be my wife, Banshee, 
in the face of sun and moon, and I 
plight troth, to you past death, wheth- 
er it come to-night or in fifty years." 

"I take thee to be my husband, Hugh 
O'Rourke, and I lift off my curse from 
thy house, thus and thus." 

The woman drooped to his feet, shod 
in worn brogues as they were, and 
kissed them; rose to her knees and 
kissed his hands and the hilt of his 
sword; rose to her feet and kissed his 
mouth. 

Then they went, handfast. Into the 
shadowy upper end of the room, where 
the climbing firelight could no longer 
find them. 

And when the morning came, rosy 
and wind-tossed, Hugh O'Rourke came 
out to his serving men with life and 
the joy of life in his eyes, and he and 
the fair woman clinging to his arm 
gave them good-morrow and went 
forth, laughing. But, an hour later, 
these found the body of Hugh 
O'Rourke lying on his bed with shut 
eyes and folded hands, long cold. So 
the serving-men knew that they had 
seen and bidden farewell to the soul of 
Hugh O'Rourke and that all was well 
with him at last. 

It is a legend — nothing more — 
By one whose heart was sad. 

We know it never happenea so. 
But, oh, what if it had? 



N'il Amarac Ann! 

(Connacht Seanfhocal.) 

"Patience! Patience! Self-reliance! 
Have them; keep them— keep them 

ever!" 
Thus the song— thus the chime. 
In our ears for ages ringing! 
Ringing! Ringing— Always Ringing! 
Always Singing; 
But ADVANCING— Never! Never! 

Hear the Mountains — Let them teach 
ye: 

"Patience! Patience! Patience ever! 

Time is potent— Why then hasten?" 

Thus for aeons; Hear them Preaching! 

Preaching! Preaching! Always Preach- 
ing! 

Always Teaching; 

But advancing— Never! Never! 

Hark! The Grave— List it's calling: 

"Patience! Patience! Patience ever! 

Myriad millions, in my bosom. 

More than Patient, heard my Hum* 
mlng! 

Humming! Humming! Always Hum- 
ming! 

Always Coming — 

YOU'RE advancing to me— Ever!" 

Brothers! Life is swiftly going- 
Youngest growing older — ever! 
Seize the Present— ACT in time! 
Lest "To-morrow" finds you Dream- 
ing! 
Dreaming! Dreaming! Always Dream- 
ing! 
Always Scheming! 
But advancing— Never! Never* 
Philadelphia. •TROID." 



Industrial RevivaL 

MAJOR JAMESON, M. P., has or- 
ganized an association under 
the title of the Irish Industrial 
Revival Association. The Association 
proposes to appoint representatives in 
every county in Ireland to examine 
into and report as to the condition of 
existing industries, to distribute indus- 
trial literature, and if any existing in- 
dustry is capable of extension, and if 
the conditions favor the formation of 
a new industry, the Association will, 
to the best of its ability, supply the 
requisite funds. 



44JiJt ^' P-" is the title of a weekly 

ÍY1« "society" paper published 

in London by Mr. T. P. 

O'Connor, M. P. From a recent issue 

we extract the following: 

"Lady Beatrice O'Brien has had a 
little girl. She was Lady Beatrice 
Hare, daughter of Lord and Lady Lis- 
towel, pretty and popular, and at the 
age of nineteen made a love-marriage 
with a younger brother of the present 
Lord Inchiquln. 

"This family, by the way, emphasized 
their descent from Irish kings in the 
choice of their baptismal names. Lady 
Beatrice's husband is Donough, and 
other men of this ancient race bear 
the names of Phadrlg, Murrough, Tur- 
lough, Terence and Desmond; while 
their women have the pretty appella- 
tions of Clare, Moira, Eileen, Doreen 
and Geraldine. Mr. Edward Donough 
and Lady Beatrice O'Brien make their 
home in Ireland, and reside at Moy- 
riesk, Co. Clare." ^^ ^ 

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JOO 



THE GAEL. 



April, Í903. 




A Terrible Big Lie* 



«iil 




[HERE were two people 
In the little cabin, a 
small old wonian look- 
ing straight before her 
with her two tiny 
work-stained, w o r k- 
worn hands lying pur- 
poseless in her blue 
check lap, and a boy of about thirteen, 
with the alert hectic look that comes 
of a sickly precocity, his large saucer- 
blue eyes fixed on the old woman as 
though they would leap at her. 

The boy was sitting at the table. He 
had a pen in his hand, and at thei end 
of it there was a great blob of ink Just 
ready to falL Under the pen was a 
cheap sheet of note-paper with a spray 
of forget-me-nots in one corner, 

"Are you ready to begin. Patsy?" 
asked the old woman. 

Her eyes stared patiently at him as 
though she were blind, or at least pur- 
blind. 

"Fire away, ma'am," said the boy, 
"or 'tis waatin' the ink on me you'll 
be." 

•"Miss Katie Mulcahy, 45 Market 
Street. New York,' have you that 
wrote?" 

"'Tisn't usual," «bjected the scribe, 
"to begin letters that way," 

"Then keep the directions for the 
envelope. But begin *UisB Katie Mul- 
cahy,' all the same." 

The boy began to write, his tongue 
out on his lower lip in the labored 
frenzy which belongs to such unaccus- 
tomed scholars as he. 

« «Miss Katie Mulcahy'— I've that 
wrote." 

•* 'This is from your friend. Patsy 



By Katharine Tynan. 

Hourigan, to inform you that your 
mother, the widow Mulcahy, died of a 
bronchaytus last Tuesday was a 
week.' " 

"Arrah, what are you sayin' at all, 
ma'am? Is it gone out of your mind 
you are? Sure what 'ud I be writin' 
the likes o' that terrible big lie for?" 

"Write as I bid you. Patsy, Didn't 
I promise you the bantam hen for 
your trouble whin I'd be gone out 
of it?" 

"You're not goin' out of it that way, 
anyway. Sure there's no sickness on 
you. What would I go for to be tellin' 
lies like that and givin' Katie a ter- 
rible fright into the bargain?" 

"Listen, Patsy avoumeen. 'Twas 
yesterday the doctor told me I was 
goin' blind, an' there was no hope for 
me. An' Katie's killin herself over 
there in New York to send me the 
money. I'll never be anything but an 
idle ould block any more. I won't be 
on her hands. So I'm goin' to the poor- 
house where none . o' my name ever 
went before me. Don't you see, Patsy? 
'Twould break Katie's heart if I said a 
word o* the poorhouse to her. I can't 
keep myself now, nor even help to. 
An' I have an idea the little girl has a 
chance o' betterin' herself. She'll be 
better widout a poor ould bind mother 
in Ireland, let alone one in the poor- 
house, for that 'ud destroy her alto- 
gether." 

"H'm! Is that what you're after, 
ma'am?" said the boy doubtfully. "I 
thought at first 'twas your sivin senses 
lavin' you." 

"You'll write it. Patsy/ like a good 
boy." 



"I think I'll be takin' me mother'» 
advice about it'- 

"Oh, no. Patsy, you won't do \hat, 
like a good child. Sure, what harm am 
I doln' to anybody. Just dyin' out of it 
whin I'm helpless and a burden on my 
litUe girl? Didn't Mrs. Merrigan's 
daughter, Aisther, come home to them 
a bag o' bones, wore out, the crathur, 
wid workin' for the money that 'ud 
keep them in their little place? Didn't 
I see her with the bags o' skin hangin' 
under her eyes where the fiesh had 
withered off her, and her hands no big- 
ger nor kite's claws, an' the dead-tired 
streel of her as she kem up the MIL 
Sure, nothin' could save her, the cray- 
thur. 'Tisn't fair the childher should 
give up their lives like that. Anyhow, 
I'm not goin' to take Katie's." 

"True for you' ma'am," said the boy. 
"Poor Aisther was a terrible scare- 
crow! I heard the man that carried her 
at the funeral say she was no heavier 
nor a wren; yet she went out of it a 
fine girl." 

"You can have the bantam cock aa 
well as the bantam hen," pressed the 
old woman, seeing he was wavering, 
"if you write the letter and say nothin' 
to nobody about it. Your mother can 
have the few sticks too." 

"Might I have the bottle up there 
wid the cross in it, the one your uncle 
Tom that was a sailor made?" 

"You may have it, an' welcome. Lit- 
tle good it 'ud be to me where I'm 
goin'.'* 

"Whin will you go, ma'am?" 

"I've money in the tay pot for a few 
weeks yet I'm not in that hurry." 

"You'd be sure t^^o^ after all? Not 
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April, J903, 



THE GAEL 



tO) 



that I want you to, Mrs. Mulcahy, 
ma'am." 

'•Write the letter, an' you can take 
the bantams home wid you." 

It was too much of a temptation for 
Patsy, who perhaps had been wrought 
upon by the old woman's reasoning, 
and the memory of Esther Merrigan. 

"Very well, ma'am, I'll do as you bid 
me; 'died of bronchaytus last Tuesday 
was a week.' What next, ma'am?" 

"You're a clever boy, Patsy, to do it 
«o quick. Say now: 'She died greatly 
respected, and had as fine a funeral as 
ever I wish to see. She bid you the 
last thing not to be frettin' for her, for 
she's in a better place.' The Lord for- 
give me for sayin' the like!" she went 
on, looking round the smoke-browned 
cabin. 

"Anythin' else?" 

" 'From your sincere friend, Patsy 
Hourigan.' I think that'll be enough, 
unless you'd say, 'excuse writin' an' 
•pellin'!'" 

Patsy shot an indignant glance at 
her, but was mollified by the innocent 
expression of her sightless eyes. 

"I wouldn't say that 'Tis old-fash- 
ioned. But I'd better put in about the 
bantams. 'She said as I was a fine 
scholar an' writ all her letters for her 



I might have the white bantam cock 
an' hin, and the cross in the bottle her 
uncle Tom the sailor giv' her.' " 

"You can put it in if you like," the 
widow said, smiling faintly. "But I 
don't think Katie'd dispute the things 
wid you. Patsy, avourneen." 

The boy answered nothing. He was 
laboriously adding his careful emenda- 
tion to the scrip. 

When it was done and addressed he 
accompanied Mrs. Muleahy to the post- 
office in the village, which was round 
the bend of the road, and saw the let- 
ter posted; nor did the memory of it 
seem to trouble his conscience over- 
much. He seemed indeed to have put 
the thought of "the quare letter" out 
of his mind, and to have forgotten 
about it in his delight over his new 
possessions, which, indeed, gave him 
quite an extraordinary importance in 
the eyes of the other children, an im- 
portance he needed, since he was lame, 
and could take no part in their games. 

Now that the widow had cut herself 
off from Katie, she yet showed a 
strange unwillingness to be gone to her 
new home. She had a freehold of her 
cottage and was attached to it as the 
place to which she had come a bride, 
where Katie had been born, and passed 



her tender childhood. True she could 
no longer see the piétures on the wall, 
nor the crockery on the dresser. She 
only knew by a luminous haze about 
her when it was day, by the deeper 
darkness when it was night. Patsy 
Hourigan did her errands to the village 
for her. Some one had given her a job 
of knitting, and the few pence it would 
bring would enable her to put off aban- 
doning the house for another week or 
two. 

Sitting there in her doorway, while 
the luminous haze slowly grew, slowly 
waned, fell into pitchy blackness or 
was replaced by mild silver memories, 
weird fancies thronged about her as 
they had done when she could go to 
and tro like other people. The husband 
and the children she had lost, the girl 
who was separated from her by miles 
of ocean, began again to people the 
cabin. * 

She grew more and more unwilling 
to go. What room would there be for 
those gentle ghosts of hers in the 
crowded workhouse wards, with the in- 
cessant chatter and quarrelling as of 
a grove of sparrows going on all about 
her? They would go away again and 
leave her to' a society whose ways she 
would not approve of. Bold hussies of 




•YOU MUST WRITE AS I BID YOU, PATSY." 



102 



THE GAEL. 



April, I903* 



glrlfi, watery-eyed, degraded old wo- 
men, smoking «^ black pipe, or smug- 
gling a black bottle, dull, pasty-faced 
children growing up witnout joy, with- 
out hope. 

Mrs. Mulcahy began to wish that h,er 
letter to her daughter might be only 
anticipating an event. She had done 
It to save Katie, eo she did not repent 
There "wbb none of her kin in the coun- 
tryside now to know of her degrada- 
tion. Patsy had promised her secrecy, 
and Patsy was unlike other children 
and could keep a secret She would 
steal away some morning to the poor- 
house, before anyone was awake. It 
was a long way off, glory to goodness! 
and if Patsy were staunch, no one need 
know that Larry Mulcahy's widow, 
Katie's mother, the mother of the dead 
babies ^above there in St Bride's, had 
to end her days in the House. 

She was uneasy till the time came 
when she felt that Katie must have re- 
ceived the letter. She felt the cruelty 
of the blow she had to inflict; but then 
it was a question of her and Katie. 
And did she not suffer herself in being 
cut off from Katie's letters— from the 
' hope of Katie's return? Oh, blessed 
Mother, she did suffer! 

Katie was young, the creature, and 
would get over It There was .that 
chance of bettering herself, shyly hint- 
ed at In Katie's last letter. There 
would be some one to comfort her. 

When she knew the blow had fallen 
Mrs. Mulcahy became placid, hugging 
her peace in the little dark house be- 
cause every second brought her nearer 
to its loss. If she could only die there, 
she thought, while the money In the 
tea-pot, eked out by the knitting, yet 
lasted! 

At last she was forced into activity 
by the benevolent me.ddlesomeness of 
Dr Joyce at the disi>ensary, who came 
to see her in her cabin one day. 

"You're not safe here alone," he 
said. "You'll be stumbling into the 
Are one day, and getting burned up be- 
fore we know anything about it I 
shall write to your daughter, Mrs. Mul- 
cahy." 

The widow turned a scared face on 
him. He wondered what she was so 
terrified about Then her inventive- 
ness came to her aid. It was easy 
enough to go on once one had begun. 

"Sure, I'm goin' to her, doctor," she 
said. "What, didn't you hear? I'm 
traveling wid friends from Clashmore. 
Thursday morning' I'll be off. I'm 
obliged to you for steppin' in to see 
me. Mrs. Hourigan below is to have 



the cabin an' the few sticks. A dacent 
woman. You'll be a witness o' that, 
doctor?" 

"With pleasure, if anyone disputes 
Mrs. Hourigan's claim. Perhaps I'd 
better write it for you, and you can 
sign it I'm glad you're going to your 
daughter. She'll take care of you as 
no one else can." 

On Wednesday evening Mrs. Mulcahy 
was sitting in the full blaze of the sun- 
set outside her cabin door. The radi- 
ance of it was flushing her eyeballs 
with a sea of gold. The cabin was by 
itself, down a grassy lane, full of dew 
and the songs of the birds. 

To-morrow night by this time she 
would be in a whitewashed ward, in 
the new horrible surroundings she 
shrank from with such dread. She had 
heard they were often not decent wo- 
men there, in their speech at least 
She would have disgraced Larry and 
the children according to the peasant 
code. Never mind-^it was something 
that had to be done for Katie. Perhaps 
Larry where he now was would under- 
stand. Perhaps the poorhouse wasn't 
so bad. The big brown beads dropped 
through her flngers in nervous haste. 

She did not hear till it was close up- 
on her the wheels of an outside car 
coming down the boreen. When at last 
she heard them she got up all in a 
flutter apd stood staring in the direc- 
tion of the sound. It stopped and some 
one launched herself upon her, and 
caugnt her up in two strong young 
arms. 

"You bad, wicked ould woman!" It 
was Katie's voice. "To think of your 
tryin' to break my heart like that! 
I've a mind never to forgive you. Only 
for Patsy Hourigan, the little spal- 
peen! If he hadn't put what he did, 
I'd have broken every bone In his 
body! Ay, Indeed, so I would. And 
here's a son-in-law for you, ma'am. I 
hardly gave him time to marry me be- 
fore we were off. Sure, you can't see 
him, mothereen. Bother me for a 
great ould omadhaun, to go forgettin' 
it! There, feel the big strong hand of 
him! We've come here to settle." 

It appeared that Patsy Hourigan, 
after all, had betrayed his trust, for, 
having written as the widow had in- 
structed hitn, he had added on his own 
account: 

"She made me write it She's goin* 
blind, and is off to the poorhouse." 

Patsy Hourigan and his mother and 
all her family had followed the out- 
side car down the boreen, and were 
now standing looking on at the meet- 



ing between mother and daughter, 
their little group being added to by 
the arrival of one neighbor after an- 
other. 

Suddenly Katie became conscious of 
the many interested eyes upon her, 
and her mother, and the young man in 
the flne grey suit, who had taken the 
widow's hand in his and was smiling 
so kindly at the darkened face. 

"Sure, you weren't goin' to die on 
your son as well as on your daugh- 
ter?" he was saying. "Och, begorra, 
ma'am, that was the quare ould trick 
you wor on for playin' us!" 

Katie suddenly relinquished her 
mother to him and darted away to- 
wards the group. Her movements were 
always as quick and bright as those of 
a trout in a mountain river. 

Seeing her come, Patsy Hourigan 
held up one ragged coat sleeve as 
though to ward off a blow. 

"Musha, you imp of a boy, did you 
think I was goin' to bate you?" Katie 
cried, seizing him and dancing about 
with him. "My mother gave you the 
bantams, did she, for writin' that let- 
ter, an' sure you're welcome to them 
an' to anything' else she gave you. An' 
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a gold 
soverign that young man over there 
was after givin' you. The bit of a 
place? Sure your mother may have it 
an' welcome. John over there — his 
name is Mr. DriscoU — ^an' meself is 
about takin' a farm, an' we'll have the 
mother along wid us. Sure, what would 
we be wantin' wid cabins? But mind. 
Patsy Hourigan, if you hadn't put in 
that bit of a postscript, 'tis comin' I'd 
have bin all the same, an' I'd have bate 
you till you were black and blue." 

She relented, seeing how even the 
averted peril had power to terrify 
Patsy. 

"Never mind," she said. "You wor 
a rale good little boy, so you wor, and 
we'll see if Mr. Driscoll won't flnd you 
a job on the farm, somethin' light and 
aisy that'll just suit you." 

Mr. and Mrs. Driscoll were not long 
in flnding a farm in the neighborhood, 
to which Katie removed her mother as 
soon as possible. And, after all, the 
blindness, as the result of a successful 
operation, was averted. 

Mrs. Mulcahy lived in a dim world 
of her own to be sure. But still she 
could see, in a dim way; and Katie's 
face, and the faces of her grandchil- 
dren were never far away from the 
impaired vision. 

" 'Tis more than you deserve," Katie 
would say, in the tender^threatening 



April, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



103 



way which she used to her mother, 
"you bad ould woman! Sure I'd have 
droppea dead out of my stannln' it Td 
believed that big terrible lie of yours, 
and then, ma'am, what 'ud ha' become 
o' John DriscoU an' of you? Och, in- 
deed, 'tis the terrible bad ould woman 
you are!"— /ri«/i Homestead. 



Ill Go To Sneevogue. 

I'M sick an' I'm sore an' I'm weary o' 
walkin' 
O'er highways an' byways, thro' 
bohereens an' glens, 
An' colleens wid dowries my best plans 
are baulkin'. 
For where I ax cattle, they offer me 
hens! 
I travelled Baldaragh, Kinoud, and 
lar-curragh. 
Through Grallagh an' Murragh, and 
found not wan pogue 
But, plaise God, to-morrow for joy or 
for sorrow, 
I'll lalve plough an' harrow, an' go 
to Sneevogue. 

Och! Sneevogue's the place where 
there's many a stockin', 
Wid the rouiid yalla soverins all 
shinln' inside, 
Where the colleens is civil an' far 
above mockin' 
A boy wid a farm who is seekin' a 
bride. 
There's none o' them tendher, too fair 
or too slendher— 
They're tough, for their gender, as 
e'er wore a brogue; 
But I am no chicken, by fair to be 
sthricken, 
I'll chance wan more kickin' an go 
to Sneevogue. 

I failed seven times wid as many 
matchmakers; 
Full fifty bright soverins I want an' 
a cow; 
For I have a farm of forty good acres. 
An' Sneevogue's the place where I'll 
seek a wife now. 
I've done wid young misses, who sigh 
for caresses; 
I want not the kisses of any sich 
rogue. 
But some steady qiaiden, whose cash 
will be paid in 
The day o' the weddin*— I'll go to 
Sneevogue. 
— PAUDRIG MacAIRCHILL. 



Sale of Tara HilL 

ON Thursday, February 12th, a 
large number of prospective 
purchasers assembled at the 
auction rooms of Messrs. Ganly, Sons 
& Company, Usher's Quay, Dublin, 
when part of the lands of Castletown, 
Co. Meath, on which the famous Hill 
of Tara is situate, were put up for 
public auction. 

The lands, which contain 239a. 3r. 
15p, statute, were formerly in the pos- 
session of Sir Patrick Boylan, now de- 
ceased, and the administrator of that 
gentleman's effects placed the valuable 
and historic property under the ham- 
mer. Mr. Richard Ganly was the auc- 
tioneer, and, having read over the con- 
ditions of sale, invited biddings. 

The competition opened with an 
ofter of £2,000, and bidding proceeded 
very briskly until Mr. George Collins, 
solicitor (Casey and Clay), was de- 
clared the purchaser in trust for a lady 
client at £3,700. The biddings, in 
pounds, were as follows: 2,000, 2,100, 
2,200. 2.i300, 2,400 2,450, 2,475, 2,500, 
2,600, 2,700, 2,800. 2,850, 3,000, 3.050, 
3,100, 3,150, 3,200, 3,250, 3,300, 3,350, 
3,375, 3,400, 3,425, 3,450, 3,475, 3,500, 
3,525, 3,550, 3,575. 3,600, 3,650, 3,675, 
3,700. 

Mr. Ganly described the farm as be- 
ing valuable for its fattening and fin- 
ishing qualities, and incidentally re- 
ferred to the fact of its including a 
part of the far-famed Hill of Tara. 
The sale was concluded in about forty 
minutes. 

Messrs. William Mooney & Son were 
the solicitors having carriage of the 
sale. 




A Shon Guide to Choice 
Reading* 

Read: 

Macaulay For Clearness 

Bacon For Logic 

Homer For Action 

Pope For Conciseness 

Milton For Sublimity of Conception 

Kipling For Strength 

Virgil For Elegance 

Franklin For Common Sense 

Whittier For Simplicity 

Cervantes For Humor 

Holmes .For Wit 

Balzac For Imagination 

Thackeray For Satire 

Byron For Poetry of Passion 

Poe For the Weird 

Scott For Historical Romance 

Hawthorne For Exquisite English 

Shakespeare for Universality of Genius 



InMemoriam: Qiarles Gavan 
Duify* 

OCH! Paddy dear, and did ye hear 
the ill news goin' round? 
'Tis Duffy that will never more 
set foot on Irish ground. 
The brave old fighter, ochanee! he's 

laid him down to rest. 
And we must keep our keening low, 

the old man's sleeping sound. 
And he shall wake In Tir-na-nOg, the 
Island of the Blest. 

Och! Paddy dear, it Is not fear of man 

on him had power: 
He took the rough time and the smooth 

as lightly as a fiower 
Takes rain that pelts it down to earth 

the sun that bids It rise. 
And if it be a speedwell give back the 

blue o' the skies 
(My mind run on forget-me-not in 

this unhappy hour). 

Och! Paddy dear, not smile nor tear 

will wake the old man now. 
We'll sign the cross upon his breast. 

the cross upon his brow — 
He bore the body's prison once, but 

never on his soul 
Had any evil thing or thought a day's 

or night's control- 
But sing more softly for his sake, you 

mating birds on bough. 
—Nora Chesson, in the Westminster 
Gazette. 

THE GAEL can be purchased regu- 
larly each month from any of the fol- 
lowing agents: 

IRELAND. 
Eason & Son, Ltd., 89 and 91 Middle 
Abbey St. 

•DUBLIN. 
Gill & Son, 50 Upper O'Connell St. 

ENGLAND. 
•Williams & Butland (wholesale agents) 

47 Little Britain, London, E. C. 
Robert Thompson, 5 Tudor St., Black- 
friars, London. 
Conlon & Co., 5 Crosshall .St., Liver- 
pool. 
Thomas McGlynn, 80 Warde St. 
Hulme. Manchester. 

SCOTLAND. 
Mr. Kelly, 154 Saltmarket. Glasgow. 
James Kinsella, Bank St.. Coatbridge. 
Lanarkshire. 

FRANCE. 
Mme. Lelong, Kiosk 10 Boulevard del 
Capucines, Paris. 

AUSTRALIA. 
M. E. Carey, 106 Sturt St., Ballarat. 
P. F. Ryan, 324 Hay St., Perth, West 
Australia. 

SOUTH AFRICA. 

H. Bullep^eSSSi ^^*^*^^^^' ^*P® ^°^" 
ony. ^ " %^ 



}04 



THE GAEL» 



April, 1903. 



Irish Dialects Should Be Discouraged* 




^ T the request of some friends 
who are interested in the pre- 
servation of the Irish language 
^ Mr. T. 0. Russell sent the fol- 
lowing letter to the Gaelic 
League, Dublin, on January 
26th, 1903: 

To the members of the Council, Cen- 
tral Branch of the Gaelic League: 
Ladies and Gentlemen — ^Please per- 
mit me in the most friendly manner to 
call your attention to a placard recent- 
ly issued by the Gaelic League, in 
which it was stated that the paper on 
which the "Gaelic Journal" was print- 
ed was made in Ireland. The Irish 
word used for "was made" was sei- 
ueadh. It should have been nirmeadh 
or riffhneadh. Deineadh cannot be 
found in any grammar that I know 
of; is a local and incorrect form of the 
perfect passive of dearmahn — I make 
or I do. See Keating's "Three Shafts 
of Death," appendix, page xxviii.; see 
also O'Donovan's Irish Grammar, page 
262. 

On the title page of the "Gaelic 
Journal" the word uibreach appears as 
the genitive singular of the noun 
uimher or uimhir, but the genitive sin- 
gular is uibhre or uimhre. See Coney's 
Irish Dictionary; see Irish Bible, Exo- 
dus xii., 4, both in Archbishop Mac- 
Hale's and in Bedel's Irish versions of 
the Pentateuch. 

The above examples are given mere- 
ly as Illustrations of what has been 
practiced in the publications of the 
Gaelic League since its foundation, 
and what has In recent years been 
practiced by the Society for the Pres- 
ervation of the Irish Language, name- 
ly, printing incorrect dialect IriSh 
without a word of explanation as to 
what dialect it belonged, and leaving 
the reader to suppose it was correct 
Irish 

It is interesting and instructive to 
know the dialects of a language, but 
to print and publish them without note 
or comment, as your society has been 
doing for many years, and as the So- 
ciety for the Preservation of the Irish 
tAUguage has lately been doing, seems 
so very unwise that it must give pain 
to those who think seriously about it, 
and who are interested in the matter 
of the resuscitation of our national 
language. 

I am sorry to have been driven to 
the conclusion that the Irish language 



can never be permanently resuscitated 
on the lines that your Society and the 
one already mentioned are following 
at present. To endeavor to keep the 
language alive in those parts where it 
is still spoken should, by all means, be 
an object of primary importance, but 
it is greatly to be feared that it cannot 
be done; for never has the Irish lan- 
guage faded away more quickly, been 
neglected more wantonly, where it had 
been spoken for scores of centuries, 
than since the establishment of socie- 
ties for its preservation. This fact Is 
well-known to everyone conversant 
with the places where Irish was gener- 
ally spoken thirty years ago, and 
where hardly a word of it is heard to- 
day. 

The one great, paramount cause of 
the decadence of the Irish language 
during the last century was its utter 
neglect by the educated classes. Until 
they take an interest in it, the Gaelic 
League, were those who control and 
guide it even a hundred times more 
devoted, enthusiastic, and hardwork- 
ing than they are, cannot save the lan- 
guage from death. 

But how can the educated or the un- 
educated classes who want to learn 
Irish take real interest in it when they 
see it written in dialects— Munster dia- 
lects. Connacht dialects, and Ulster 
dialects— without a word of explana- 
tion as to what dialect is written. If 
Irish had no standard; if there was no 
approach to classic correctness, in any 
work in modern Irish; if it was as 
much in want of a standard as English 
was in the time of Chaucer^ there 
might be some excuse for printing un- 
explained dialects; but modern Irish 
has a classic standard in the works of 
Keating, Donleavy, O'Molloy, Bedel, 
and many others. In their works there 
may be said to be but one frequently 
employed word that is really unknown 
In the modern language, and that is 
the preposition re in Latin letters, "re" 
too; its compounds need hardly be in- 
cluded. 

When we look abroad we find that 
many languages of peoples subject to 
the rule of alien governments are in a 
flourishing condition, and to an Irish- 
man they form a painful contrast with 
thd state of his national speech. But 
it is easy to know why Bohemian, . 
Welsh, Polish and Basque live and 
flourish, and why Irish is dying. It is 



because the flourishing languages men- 
tioned have not been ignored by the 
educated classes of the countries where 
they are spoken, while in Ireland Irish 
has been ignored by the educated 
classes for more than two hundred 
years, and consequently ft is fading 
away. If you want the Irish language 
to live you must have the aid of the 
educated classes, and to get their aid» 
Incorrectness of speech, vulgarities» 
and dialects must be avoided as much 
as possible, and one, and only one» 
Irish language placed before them to 
induce them to study it. 

The uselessness of printing dialect 
Irish, especially without saying what 
dialect is printed, must be apparent to 
anyone who thinks about it. The peo- 
ple of Munster will never use the dia- 
lects of Ulster, and the people of Ul- 
ster and the northern part of Ireland 
will never use the dialects of Mun- 
ster. Why, therefore, print dialects at 
all, except as curiosities? Tou cannot 
but know that localism and provincial 
difterences have been from the earliest 
times the curses of Ireland and the 
primary causes of her loss of nation- 
hood and of her present unhappy poli- 
tical and economic condition. 

Small as the differences may be be- 
tween the dialects of Irish, their culti- 
vation, especially in print, can do no 
possible good in a literary point of 
view, and may lead to the resuscitation 
of provincial hatreds, rather than the 
resuscitation of the Irish language. 
You cannot but know that the person 
who knowingly writes incorrect, dia- 
lect Irish, with a view to its accept- 
ance as a general standard, can neith- 
er be wise nor patriotic, for he tries to • 
put his own province over the rest of 
Ireland, and is, consequently, unfitted 
to take any part in the resuscitation of 
the national language. 

As one who assisted at the founda- 
tion of your Society, and of the older 
one I have mentioned, I beg of you, in 
the most earnest and the most friend- 
ly manner, not to allow any more dia- 
lect, incorrect Irish, to appear in any 
of your publications as correct lan- 
guage. If you allow it, you will per- 
plex the ignorant and disgust the 
learned, and make the praiseworthy 
object for which you are so earnestly 
working all the more difficult of at- 
tainment—Believe me, very sincerely 
yours, jitized by '^ T. 0. RUSSBLiL, 



April, J903» 



THE GAEL. 



J05 





E told the doctor he was due 
' _ in the bar-room at 8 
o'clock In the morn- 
ing. The bar-room in 
which he worked was 
in a slum in the Bow- 
ery; and he had only 
been able to keep 
himself in health by 
getting up at five 
o'clock and going for 
long walks in the 
fields. 
"A sea voyage is what you 
want," said the doctor. 
"Why not go to Ireland for 
two or three months? Tou will come 
back a new man." 

Lately Bryden had begun to wonder 
how the people at home were getting 
on; he had often felt he would like to 
see Ireland again; the doctor had just 
told him what he wanted to hear. He 
thanked him, ana three weeks after- 
wards he landed in Cork. 

He had been thirteen years in 
America; he was now eight-and- 
twenty; and as he sat in the railway 
carriage he recalled his native village 
— he could see the village, and its lake, 
and then the fields, one by one, and 
the roads. Stretching out into the 
winding lake there was a large piece 
of rocky land — some three or four 
hundred acres of rocky headland — and 
upon it the peasantry had been given 
permission to build their cabins by 
former owners of the Georgian house, 
standing on the pleasant green hill. 
The present owners considered the vil- 
lage a disgrace. However, the villagers 
paid high rents for their plots of 
ground, and they bore with it. 
The train jogged along all day, and 



By Geof s:e Moore* 

when it stopped at James Bryden's 
station the Summer sun was setting. 
And seeing the fine windless evening, 
Bryden was sorry he did not feel 
strong enough for the walk. It was 
fair day at Ballyholly, and he would 
meet many people going home; he 
would be sure to meet some whom he 
had known In his youth, and from 
them he would find out where he would 
be able to get a clean lodging. He felt 
that the sea voyage had done him 
good, but seven miles was too far for 
him to walk to-day, and he remember- 
ed that the last time he had walked 
the road he had walked it in an hour 
and a half though he was earring a 
heavy bundle on a stick. There was a 
car waiting ft the station; he felt he 
had better take it, and very soon the 
carman was asking him about 
America; but Bryden wanted to hear 
of those who were still living in the old 
country, and after some questioning, 
after hearmg the stories of many peo- 
'ple he had forgotten, he heard that 
Mike Scully, wno had been away in a 
situation for many years as coachman 
in the King's County, had come back 
and built a house with a fine concrete 
floor. 

The carman told him there was a 
good loft in the house, and that Mike 
would be pleased to take in a lodger. 
Mike Scully had been a groom at the 
big house on the hill; he had intended 
to be a jockey, but had suddenly shot 
up into a fine tall man and had had to 
become a coachman Instead. Bryden 
remembered that this was so, and he 
tried to recall Mike's face^ but his 
recollections of those days were dim, 
and he was surprised when the driver 
pointed to a tall man coming through 



the lodge gates and said: "There is 
Mike Scully." 

Mike had forgotten Bryden even 
more completely than Bryden had for- 
gotten him, and many aunts and 
uncles were mentioned before he be- 
gan to understand. 

"You have grown into a fine man, 
James," he said, looking at James' 
great breadth ot chest. "But you are 
thin in the cheeks, and you are very 
sallow in the cheeks, too." 

"I haven't been very well lately — 
that is one of the reasons I have coma 
back! but I wanted to see you all 
again." 

And then James paid the carman, 
wished him "God-speed," and the two 
men walked on together. They walked 
round the lake, for the townland was 
at the back of the demesne; and while 
they walked James proposed to pay 
Mike ten snillings a week for his 
board and lodging. 

Bryden saw great changes in the de- 
mesne: he remembered the woods, 
thick, and well forested; now they 
were wind-worn, the drains were 
choked, and the bridge leading across 
the lake inlet was falling away. Their 
way led between long fields where 
herds of cattie were grazing; the road 
was broken-i-Bryden wondered how 
the villagers drove their carts over it. 
At last they came to the village, and 
the mud made by last week's rain was 
not dry there. It looked a desolate 
place, even on this fine evening, and 
Bryden thought that the very pigs 
must feel depressed on a wet day. 

It was at once strange and familiar 

to him to see chickens in the kitchen; 

and wishing to reknit himself to the 

old country, he begged of Mrs. Scully 

• DigitizGv. 



t06 



THE GAEL 



April, 1903^ 



not to drive them out, saying he dla 
not mind them. Mike told his wife 
Bryden had been born In Duncannon 
—that was the name of the village— 
\nd when he mentioned Bryden's name 
she gave him her hand, after wiping 
It in her apron. He was heartily wel- 
come, she said; she had known hu 
father and mother, "the Lord have 
mercy on their souls." But coming 
back from America she was afraid he 
would not care to go up a ladder and 
sleep in a loft 

But Bryaen said a dry loft was just 
what he wanted. "You think a good 
deal of America over here, but I 
reckon it Isn't all you think it Here 
you work when you like and you sit 
down when you like; but when you 
have had a touch of blood-poisoning, 
as I had, when your hands begin to 
wither, as I have seen hands wither, 
when you have seen young people 
walking with a stick, you think that 
there is something to be said for Ire- 
land." 

Mike told him that he might have a. 
pail ot water to wash in; but he would 
have to wash in the kitchen — it would 
be difficult to get a pail of water up 
the ladder into the loft; moreover, the 
lake was handy, and oathing was 
pleasant there in fine weather. 

"Now won't you be taking a cup of 
milk, sir? I am sure you will be 
wanting a drink after your travel- 
ing." 

This milk was his first taste of Ire- 
land. He handed her back the cup, 
and she went into the cabin; and not 
knowing what to say, Mike asked him 
If he would like to go inside, or if he 
would like to go for a walk. 

"There is not much to show you 
here," he said. *I have got three sheep 
in the next field." 

He had two pigs at the back of the 
house, and he regretted that the sow 
had not littered, for little pigs would 
have been something to show the 
American. However, this did not seem 
to matter, for Bryden said he was 
tired and they went into the cabin. 
Mike gave him a chair by the fireside, 
and they began to talk about America, 
of the long hours in the bar-room. 

"Here a man of sixty is younger 
than a man of forty is over there." 

And when he said all that he could 
think of he asked Mike about Ireland. 
But Mike did not seem to be able to 
tell him much that was of interest. 
They were all very poor — poorer, per- 
haps, than when he left them. 

"I don't think any one except my- 



self has a five-pound note to his 
name." 

Bryden remembered Mike a young 
man, a daring rider, an excellent ball- 
player, a romantic young fellow. He 
was now a middle-aged and not very 
successful farmer. But after all, Mike's 
lite ana prospects mattered little to 
Bryden. He had come back in search 
of health, and he felt better already; 
the milk had done him good, and the 
bacon and cabbage in the pot sent 
forth a savory odor. And then the 
Scullys were very kind: they pressed 
him to make a good meal, and they 
told him that a few weeks of country 
air and country food would give him 
back the health he had lost in the 
Bowery. 

As soon as they had finished their 
meal Mike proposed that Bryden 
should fill his pipe, and Bryden, to his 
surprise, felt that he longed to smoke, 
and Mike said that this was a sign that 
his health was coming back to him. 
For during Mike's long illness he had 
never wanted to smoke, and he was a 
confirmed smoker. 

It was comfortable to sit by the 
pleasant peat fire and to see the smoke 
of their pipes drifting up the wide 
chimney, and Bryden thought that 
after all he would pass a pleasant 
evening. But about nine a number of 
villagers came in, and their talk was 
the same kind of depressing talk as 
Mike's. He remembered one or two of 
them — he used to know them very well 
when he was a boy — and he tried to 
pick up the old thread and to tie it to 
the new. But the old and the new 
thread did not seem to bind very well 
together; every moment the threads 
broke. 

He was not moved when he heard 
that Higgins, the stone-mason, was 
dead; he was not afPected even when 
he heard that Mary Kelly, who used to 
go to do the laundry at the Big House, 
had married; he was only interested 
when he heard she had gone to 
America. But America is a big place, 
and he had not met her there. Then 
Bryden remembered Patsy Carabine, 
who used to do the gardening at the 
Big House. He asked what had be- 
come of Patsy. Patsy had been very 
unlucky: one winter he had not been 
able to do any work on account of his 
arm. His house had fallen in; he had 
given up his holding and gone into the 
workhouse. 

This was all very sad; and to avoid 
hearing any further unpleasantness he 
began to tell them about America. 



They sat round listening to him; but 
all the talking was on his side, and he 
wearied of it. And looking round the 
group, he recognized a ragged hunch- 
back with grey hair— twenty years ago 
he was a young hunchback — and turn- 
ing to him Bryden asked him if he 
were doing well with his five acres. 

"Ah! not much. This has been a bad 
season. The potatoes failed; they are 
watery— there is no diet in them." 

And after striving to take an inter- 
est in the fact that 0'Ck)nnor had lost 
a mare and foal worth £40, he began to 
wish himself back in the slum. Even 
ill health seemed better than the de> 
pressing, lonely life of the fieids. These 
peasants were all agreed they could 
make nothing ouj; of their farms, even 
if they had them for nothing. Their 
regret was that they had not gone to 
America when they were young; and 
they told him all the young people 
were going there. And when they left 
the house Bryden wondered if every 
evening would be like the present one. 
Mike piled up the fire with fresh sods, 
and he hoped that it would show 
enough light in the loft for Bryden to 
undress himself by. 

The cackling of some geese in the 
road kept him awake, and the loneli- 
ness of the country seemed to pene- 
trate to his bones, and to freeze the 
marrow in them. There was a bat in 
the loft, a dog howled in the distance, 
and then he drew the clothes over his 
head. Never had he been so unhappy; 
and the sound of Mike breathing by his 
wife's side in the kitchen added to his 
nervous terror. Then he dozed a lit- 
tle; and lying on his back he dreamed 
he was awake, and the men he had 
seen sitting round the fireside that 
evening seemed to him like spectres 
come out of some unknown region of 
morass and reedy tarn. He stretched 
out his hands for his clothes, deter- 
mined to fly from this house; but re- 
membering the lonely roads that led 
to the station, he fell back on his pil- 
low. 

The geese still cackled; but he was 
too tired to be kept awake any longer. 
He seemed to have been asleep only a 
few minutes, when he heard Mike call- 
ing him. He had come half way up 
the ladder, and was telling him that 
breakfast was ready. "What kind of 
breakfast will he give me?" he asked 
himself, as he pulled on his clothes. 
There were tea and hot griddle cakes 
for breakfast, and there were fresh 
eggs; there was sunlight in the kitch- 
en, and he like^a-^ hear Mike tell of 
Digitized by V^nt 



April, Í903, 



THE GAEL. 



Í07 



the work ho was going to do in the 
fields. 

Mike rented a farm of about twenty 
acres; at least fifteen of it was grass; 
he grew an acre of potatoes and some 
corn, and some turnips for his sheep. 
He had a nice bit of meadow, and he 
took down his scythe, and as he put 
the whetstone into his belt Bryden no- 
ticed a second scythe, and he asked 
Mike if he should go down with him 
and help to finish the field. 

"You haven't done any mowing this 
many a year; I don't think you'd be 
much of a help. You'd better go for 
a walk by the lake, but you may come 
in the afternoon if you like and help 
to turn it over." 

Bryden was afraid he would find the 
lake, shore very lonely, but the magic 
of returning health is the sufficient dis- 
traction of the convalescent, and the 
morning passed agreeably. The weath- 
er was still and sunny; he could hear 
the ducks in the reeds; the hours 
dreamed themselves away, and it be- 
came his habit to go every morning to 
the lake. One day he met the land- 
lord, and they walked on together 
talking of the country, of what it had 
been, and the ruin it was slipping 
into. 

James Bryden told him that ill 
health had brought him back to Ire- 
land; and the landlord lent him his 
boat, and Bryden rowed about the isl- 
ands, and resting upon his oars he 
looked at the old castles, and remem- 
bered the prehistoric raiders that the 
landlord had told him about; he came 
across the stones to which the lake 
dwellers had tied their boats, and these 
signs of ancient Ireland were pleasing 
to Bryden in his present mood. 

As well as the great lake there was 
a smaller lake in the bog, where the 
villagers cut their turf; this lake was 
famous for its pike; the landlord al- 
allowed Bryden to fish there, and one 
evening, when he was looking for a 
frog with which to bait his line, he 
met Margaret Dirkin driving home the 
cows for the milking. 

Margaret Dirken was the herdsman's 
daughter, and she lived in a cottage 
near the Big House; but she came up 
to the village whenever there was a 
dance, and Bryden had found himself 
opposite to her in the reels. But until 
this evening he had had little oppor- 
tunity of speaking to her. He was glad 
to speak to some one, for the evening 
was lonely; and they stood talking to- 
gether. 

"You're getting your health again," 



she said. "You'll soon be leaving us." 

"I'm in no hurry." 

"You are grand people over there; 
I hear a man is paid four dollars a day 
for his work." 

"And how much," said James, "has 
he to pay for his food and for his 
clothes?" 

"You don't find the country too 
lonesome?" 

Her eheeks were bright, and her 
teeth small, white and beautifully 
even; and a woman's soul looked at 
Bryden out of her pale Irish eyes. He 
was troubled, and turned aside, and 
catching sight of a frog looking at him 
out of a tuft of grass, he said*. 

'*I have been looking for a frog to 
put upon my pike line." 

The frog Jumped right and left, and 
nearly escaped in some bushes; but he 
caught it and returned with it in his 
hand. 

"It is just the kind of frog a pike 
will like," he said: "look at its great 
white belly and Its bright yellow 
back." 

And without more ado he pushed 
the wire to which the hook was fast- 
ened through the frog's fresh body, 
and dragging it through tne mouth, he 
passed the hooks through the hind legs 
and tied the line to the end of the wire. 

"I think," said Margaret, "I must be 
looking after my cows: it's time I got 
them home.'* 

"Won't you come down to the lake 
while I set my line?" 

She thought for a moment, and 
then said: "No, I shall see you from 
here." 

He went down to the reedy tarn, and 
at his approach several snipe got up, 
and they flew above his head uttering 
sharp cries. His fishing-rod was a long 
hazel stick, and he threw the frog as 
far as he could into the lake. In doing 
this he roused some wild ducks; a mal- 
lard and two ducks got up; and they 
flew toward the larger lake. Margaret 
watched them; they flew in a line with 
an old castle; and they had not disap- 
peared from view when Bryden came 
towards her, and he and she drove 
the cows home together that evening. 

One evening she said: "James, you 
had better not come here so often talk- 
ing to me." 

"Don't you wish me to come?" 

"Yes, I wish you to come well 
enough; but keeping company is not 
the custom in the country, and I don't 
want to be talked about." 

"Are you afraid the priest would 
speak against us from the altar?" 



"He has spoken against keeping 
company; but it is not so much what 
the priest says, for there Is no harm 
in talking." 

"But if you are going to be married 
there is no harm in walking out to- 
gether." 

"Well, not so much; but marriages 
are made differently In those parts; 
there Is not much courting here." 

And next day it was known in the 
village that James was going to marry 
Margaret Dirken. 

His desire to excel the boys In danc- 
ing had aroused much gaiety In the 
parish, and for some time pa'st there 
had been dancing In every house where 
there was a floor fit to dance upon; and 
if the cottager had no money to pay 
for a barrel of beer, James Bryden, who 
had money, sent him a barrel, so that 
Margaret might get her dance. 

She told hiifi that they sometimes 
crossed over into another parish, where 
the priest was not so averse to danc- 
ing, and James wondered. And next 
morning at mass he wondered at their 
simple fervor. Some ot them held their 
hands above their heads as they pray- 
ed, and all this was very new and very 
old to James Bryden. But the obe* 
dlence of these people to their priest 
surprised him. 

When he was a lad they had not 
b^en so obedient, or he had forgotten 
their obedience; and he listened in 
wonderment to the priest, who was 
scolding his parishioners, speaking to 
them by name, saying that he had 
heard there was dancing going on In 
their houses. Worse than that, he said 
he had seen boys and girls loitering 
about the roads, and the talk that went 
on was of one kind— love. He said that 
newspapers containing love-stories 
were finding their way into the people's 
houses — vulgar stories about love. In 
which there was nothing elevating or 
ennobling. 

One evening as they were dancing a 
knock came to the door, and the piper 
stopped playing, and the dancers whis- 
pered, "Some one has told on us: It is 
the priest." 

And the awe-stricken villagers 
crowded round the cottage fire, afraid 
to open the door. But the priest said 
that if they did not open the door he 
would put his shoulder to it and force 
it open. And every one was afraid ex- 
cept Bryden. He moved towards the 
door, saying he would allow no one to 
threaten him, priest or no priest. Mar- 
garet caught his arm and told him if 
he said anything to the priest that the 



108 



THE GAEL. 



April, Í903. 



priest would speak against them from 
the altar, and they would be shunned 
by the neighbors; and then Mike Scul- 
ly went to the door and let the priest 
in, and he came In saying they were 
dancing their souls into hell. 

"I have heard of your goings-on," he 
«aid— "of your beer-drinking and danc- 
ing. I will not have it in my parish; 
U you want that sort of thing you had 
better go to America." 

"If that is intended for me, sir, I 
will go back to-morrow. Margaret can 
follow." 

The priest said if such practices were 
to be brought back to Ireland from 
America, he wished those who had 
left the country would remain out of it. 
But it had suddenly occurred to him 
that he might be breaking off a mar- 
riage, and then he said it was not so 
much the dancing he objected to as the 
late hours that were the result of the 
dancing, and taking out his watch he 
said it was after midnight But Bry- 
den's watch said it was only 11.30, and 
while they were arguing about the 
time Mrs. Scully offered Bryden's um- 
brella to the priest, for in his hurry 
to stop the dancing the priest had gone 
out without his; and as if to show Bry* 
den that he bore him no ill-will the 
priest accepted the loan of the um- 
brella. 

"I shall be badly ofF for the umbrella^ 
to-morrow," Bryden said, as soon as 
the priest was out of the house. He 
was going with his father-in-law to a 
fair. His father-in-^law was teaching 
him how to buy and sell cattle. And 
his father-in-law was saying that the 
country was mending, and that a man 
might become rich in Ireland if he only 
had a little capital. Bryden had the 
capital, and Margaret had an uncle on 
the other side of the lake who would 
leave her all he had, and that would 
be £100. Nev^r in the village of Dun- 
cannon had a young couple begun life 
with so much prospect of succens as 
James Bryden and Margaret Dirken, so 
it was said. 

Some time after Christmas was 
spoken of as the best time for the mar- 
riage; James Bryden said that he 
would not be able to get his money 
out of America before the Spring. The 
delay seemed to vex him, and he seem- 
ed anxious to be married, until one day 
he received a letter from America, 
from a man who had served in the bar 
with him. His friend wrote to ask 
Bryden if he were coming back. The 
letter was no more than a passing wish 
to see Bryden again. Yet Bryden 



stood loking at it, and every one won- 
dered what could be in the letter. 

U seemed momentous, and they 
hardly believed him when he said it 
was from a friend who wanted to know 
if his health were better. He tried to 
forget the letter, and he looked at the 
worn fields, divided by walls of loose 
stones, and a great longing came upon 
him. 

The smell of the Bowery slum had 
come across the Atlantic, and had 
found him out in this western head- 
land; and one night he awoke from a 
dream in which he was hurling some 
drunken customer through the open 
doors into the darkness. He had seen 
his friend in his dream, in his white 
duck Jacket, throwing drink from glass 
into glass amid the din of voices and 
strange accents; he had heard the 
clang of money as it was swept into 
the till, and his sense sickened for the 
bar-room. 

But how should he tell Margaret Dir- 
ken he could not marry her? She had 
built her life upon this marriage! He 
couldn't tell her that he would not 
marry her. . . . Tet he must go. 
He felt as if he were being hunted; the 
thought that he must tell Margaret 
that he could not marry her hunted 
him, day after day, as a weasel hunts 
a rabbit. 

Again and again he went to meet 
her with the intention of telling her 
that he did not love her, that their 
lives were not for one another, that it 
had all been a mistake, and that hap- 
pily he had found out that it was a 
mistake soon enough. 

But Margaret, as if she guessed what 
he was about to speak of, threw her 
arms about him and begged him to say 
that he loved her, and that they would 
be married at once. He agreed that he 
loved her, and that they would be mar- 
ried at once. But he had not left her 
many minutes before the feeling came 
upon him that he could not marry her 
— that he must go away. 

The smell of the bar-room hunted 
him down. Was it for the sake of the 
money that he might make there that 
he wished to go back? No, it was not 
the money. What then? His eyes fell 
on the bleak country, on the little 
fields divided by bleak walls; he re- 
membered the pathetic ignorance of 
the people — and it was these things 
that he could not endure. 

As he stood looking at the line of the 
hills the bar-room seemed by him. He 
heard the politicians, and the excite- 
ment of politics was in his blood 



again. He must go away from this 
place, he must get back to the bar* 
room. I^ooklng up, he saw the scantr 
orchard, and he hated the spare road 
that led to the village, and he hated 
the little hill, at the top of which the 
village began, and he hated more than 
all other places the house where he 
was to live with Margaret Dirken — if 
he married her. 

He could see it from whe*"^ he stood 
by the edge of the lake, with twenty 
acres of pasture-land about it, for the 
landlord had given up part of his de- 
mesne land to them. 

He caught sight of Margaret, and he 
called her to come through the stile. 

"I have Just had a letter from 
America." 
"About the money?" she said. 
"Yes, about the money. But I shall 
have to go over there." 

He stood looking at her, seeking for 
words; and she guessed from his em- 
barrassment that what he would say 
to her was that he would have to go to 
America before they were married. 

"Do you mean, James, you will have 
to go at once?" 

"Yes," he said, "at once. But I shall 
come back in time to be married in 
August. It will only mean delaying 
our marriage a month." 

They walked on a little way talking, 
and every step he took James felt that 
he was a step nearer the Bowery slum. 
And when they came to the gate 
Bryden said: "I must hasten, or I 
shall miss the train." 

"But," she said, "you are not going 
now— you are not going to-day?" 

"Yes, this morning. It Is seven 
miles. I shall have to hurry not to 
miss the train." 

And then she asked him if he would 
ever come back. 
"Yes," he said, "I am coming back." 
"If you are coming back, James, why 
not let me go with you?" 

"You could not walk fast enough. 
We should miss the' train." 

"One moment, James. Don't make 
me suffer; tell me the truth. You are 
not coming back. Your clothes: where 
shall I send them?" 

He hurried away, hoping he would 
come back; he was not sure. He tried 
to think that he liked the country he 
was leaving, that It would be better to 
have a farmhouse and live there with 
Margaret Dirken than to serve drinks 
behind a counter In the Bowery. He 
did not think he was telling her a lie 
when he said he was coming back. Her 
offer to forward yhis clothes itouched 
Digitized by V^OOQlC 



April, Í903, 



THE GAEL 



Í0? 



his heart, and at the end of the road he 
stopped and asked himself if he should 
go back to her. He would miss the 
train if he waited another minute, and 
he ran on. And he would have missed 
the train If he had not met a car. Once 
he was on the car he felt himself safe 
— ^the country was already behind him. 
The train and the boat at Cork were 
mere formula; he was already in 
America. 

He felt the thrill of home, the thrill 
that he sought for in his native village 
and had not found. The smell of the 
bar, the roar of the crowds in the bar- 
room, were delicious to his ears and la 
his nostrils, and he oftered up many a 
thanksgiving for his escape from life in 
that western townland. A month after 
he and his friend had purchased the 
bar-room; and at the end of the year 
he and his partner discovered from 
their accounts they were doing re- 
markably well. James married. His 
family grew up, his wife died; property 
came and went One day the thought 
suddenly struck him that the only 
thing he really possessed in the world 
was a memory. The desire to see Mar- 
garet again was Intense, so intense 
that he often thought he would go 
back. But he did not go back. He 
often wondered why. He was too oldL 
Every one has a personal life that 
none knows but himself, and James 
Bryden's personal life was his memory 
of Margaret Dirken; and what he saw 
most clearly was the green hillside 
with the bog lake and the rushes about 
It, and the greater lake in the distance, 
and behind it sinuous lines of wan- 
dering hills. 



Missing Manuscripts^ 

IN an interesting lecture on the blind 
poet Raftery, recently delivered by 
Dr. Douglas Hyde, he stated that 
on two occasions, manuscript collec- 
tions of poems of the whereabouts of 
which he had been informed, when 
Bought for by him later on, were said 
to have been taken to America by 
their owners. 

It is possible that many valuable col- 
lections of Irish manuscripts are 
«towed away in odd places in this 
country presumably in the custody of 
Aersons who do not know their value. 

THE GAEL will be glad to hear of 
•ny such collections and if possible 
would like to obtain a list or catalogue 
•f their contents. Any reader knowing 
of such a collection is requested to 
communicate with this magazine. 



The Jokers' Corner* 

"A little nonsense now and then 
Is relished by the wisest, men." 



AFIRE ENGINE rattled up Eighth 
Avenue, New York City. 
"That reminds me of the story 
of the two Irishmen who had just 
landed in this country and taken 
rooms in one of the down-town lodg- 
ing houses in New York," said Mr. T. 
St John Gaffney. "In the middle of the 
night they were awakened by a great 
noise in the street. One of the Irish- 
men got up and looked out of the win- 
dow. Two fire engines tore along, 
belching smoke and fire and leaving a 
trail of sparks. 

"What is that?" asked the chap who 
remained in bed. 

" 'They're movln' hell,' said the man 
at the window, 'and two loads have 
just gone by.'" 



Two Good Highlanders* 

SOME years ago a vote was taken 
among the men of a certain High- 
land regiment (at that time not 
wearing the kilt) to find out how many 
would be in favor of wearing the High- 
land costume. In due course the ser- 
geant-major appeared before the com- 
manding officer with the result of the 
voting. 

Officer— "Well, sergeant-major, how 
many are in favor of the kilt?" 

S. Major— "Two men, sir." 

Officer— "Only two; well I'm glad 
there are at least two good Highland- 
ers in the regiment What are their 
names, sergeant-major?" 

S. Major— "Privates Patrick O'Brien 
and Michael Rooney, sir." 

Collapse of commanding officer. 



44 



Sorry He ''Stood Pat.'' 

THE funniest experience that I 
have ever had in all my years 
of practice at the bar oc- 
curred during a murder trial," said one 
lawyer to a lot of fellow-practitioners, 
who had assembled in his office. "An 
Englishman was to be tried for mur- 
der, and from what I had learned 
about the case I felt that my client 
would be convicted, if not for first de- 
gree murder, then surely for second 
degree murder. I was so uneasy about 
the matter that I went to an Irish 
friend of mine and deliberately planned 
to prevent conviction in either degree. 
This friend of mine was a juryman, 



and his chances of getting on tke jury 
in the murder case was very good, so 
I urged him to stick until the last for 
a verdict of manslaughter. He said h» 
would, and I knew that he would keep 
his promise. 

"The panel was exhausted, and my 
friend Pat was one of the twelve men 
in whose hands rested the fate of my 
client. I was positive that he would 
not hang. The trial was an interesting 
one, and the jury retired after listen- 
ing to the judge's charge. Seven houri 
passed before they returned. 

"The poll of the jury showed that 
the prisoner was guilty of manslaugh- 
ter, and after the jurymen were dis- 
charged, I walked up to Pat and said: 

" 'Pat, you saved the day. It was a 
great piece of work for you. How did 
you manage to bring the other eleven 
to your way of thinking?' 

" 'Oh, I had the divll's own Ume of 
doln' it This is on the quiet When 
we first began to ballot, eleven of 
thim fellows was for acquittal, but I 
stuck to my job until I brought them 
around to manslaughter. Sure I'll do 
as much for an Englishman any time.'* 
—Philadelphia Ledger. 



A Very Old Yam. 

THE expression attributed to Mr. 
Kilbride in the speech for which 
he was tried at Maryborough, 
Kings County, as constituting an in- 
citement to murder— "Why were land- 
lords shot at? Because of drink. Why 
were landlords missed? Because of 
drink"— formed the chief part of one 
of the stories of the late Sir Thomas 
Upington, who was Prime Minister at 
the Gape and a famous raconteur, and 
is really a very old yarn. 

"I heard Sir Thomas Upington In 
the dining-room of the Cape Legisla- 
tive ssembly," writes a correspondent, 
"attribute the expression to an Irish 
temperance lecturer, whose speech he 
recited: 'What makes so many wid- 
ows? Drink. What makes so many 
orphans? Drink. What is the cause 
of so many crimes? Drink. What 
makes tenants shoot at their land- 
lords? Drink. What makes them 
miss their landlords? Drink.'" The 
story has its humorous side certainly, 
but It has a serious side alsa--^. A. P. 



J JO 



THE GAEL. 



April, Í903. 




The Passing of the Clan Uilliam* 




fEXT year, 1590, Bing- 
ham established a t 
Cong "a numerous 
and clamorous camp of 
kernes," and made a 
fresh invasion. He was 
Í strategically opposed by 
MacWilllam, now the 
Blind Abbot, and his 
forces, who marched 
parallel to him, haras- 
sing him, until they 
reached the Lagan, in 
north Mayo (where the 
French landed in 1798). 
Here MacWilllam, when 
charging the Queen's 
kerne, who were setting 
fire to the cornfields, 
lost his foot by the stroke of an 
enemy's ax. He was afterwards car- 
ried in a litter through the coun- 
try and lay for some time on an 
Island m Lough Conn. This brave 
fighter was probably one of the lay ab- 
bots, or vicars, who appropriated 
church lands when religion was par- 
alyzed by civil war and the suppres- 
sion of the monasteries. A fierce op- 
ponent of the invader, he lived to hear 
of O'Neiirs great victory over the Sas- 
senach at the Yellow Ford, and died a 
lone wanderer from his native terri- 
tory in September, 1598. His dust re- 
poses in the ruined Franciscan monas- 
tery of Quin, in Clare. 

Other MacWllliams succeeded, best 
of whom — twelfth in descent from the 
original old William de Burgo, and 
therefore the thirteenth ot unlucky 
member of the family series in Ireland 
—was the gallant young Tlbbot or 
Theobald Bourke, cousin of Red Hugh 



By P. G. Smyth, Chicagfo* 

(CONCLUDED.) 

O'Donnell and one of his ablest lieu- 
tenants in conducting his Connacht 
campaigns. He recaptured the castle 
of Belleek on the Moy, from the Eng- 
lish, in 1595, took part with his clans- 
men in the victory of the Yellow Ford, 
and combated English infiuence in 
Mayo, which was represented by Tib- 
bot-iui'Lony Bourke or Theobald of the 
Ships, erratic and ambitious son of 
Iron Richard and Orainne NiM alley— 
who sometimes championed the Irish 
when it looked like the winning side. 
At length. In 1601, all hope gone, this 
last MacWilllam departed for Spain, 
where Philip II. bestowed upon him 
the empty title of Marquis of Mayo and 
granted him a liberal pension. In hopes 
there might be a return and a day of 
reckoning. This title and pension pass- 
ed to his son, Walter Kittcgh, or the 
left-handed, who, dying without issue, 
says Lodge, "left it in custody of his 
half brother. Colonel Plunket, until It 
should be claimed by some of his heirs 
general.'' 

It does not appear that it was ever 
claimed: no pictured Spanish sails ever 
bore back the exiles, and the waterfalls 
over the ledges of Belleek murmur an 
endless dirge for the past and gone 
MacWilllam Bourkes and the now 
landless MacWattln Barretts. 

Theobald of the Ships (born on sea 
during one of his mother's piratical 
excursions) was created, for his ser- 
vices to the English, Viscount of Mayo 
In 1626, which titulary honor he en- 
joyed only three years, dying June 18, 
1629 — killed, says Mayo tradition, by an 
idiot brother-in-law, near Balllntubber 
abbey, where he was Interred, the af- 
fair originating a Mayo peasant curse, 
that of *'Tibbot-na-Long*8 journey to 



Balllntubber," meaning no returning, 
or sudden violent death. His remains 
were interred in the old abbey, where 
his tomb was discovered some sixteen 
years ago, and where also lies the 
dust of the notorious priest-hunter of 
the eighteenth century, Shaivn-na'Sog- 
garth Malowney. 

"There are more able men of the 
surname of the Burkes than of any 
name in Europe," wrote Sir John Da- 
vles, the English solicitor-general for 
Ireland, In 1606. But, broken and land- 
less, their ability now availed them but 
little. The arrangement by which they 
signed away their ancient rights and 
possessions In return for being granted 
In perpetuity certain large estates was 
scouted as waste paper: the English 
Crown lawyers claimed and maintain- 
ed that Lord Deputy Perrot had not 
been authorized to grant any estate 
whatever and that the arrangement 
was merely intended to be a composi- 
tion of taxes. In 1635 came the able, 
unscrupulous Deputy, the Earl of 
Strafford, and with bribe and threat 
made out the title and ownership of 
King Charles I. to all the land of Con- 
nacht. 

The title Was claimed through 
Elizabeth, daughter of the Dun Earl 
(assassinated In 1333, Earl of Ulster 
and Lord of Connacht), who married 
Lionel, Duke of Clarence, son of Ed- 
ward III., whose descendant Margaret 
married James IV. of Scotland, great 
grandfather of Charles I. Elizabeth, 
sister of Charles, married Frederick, 
King of Bohemia, through whom the 
title again passed to the English reign- 
ing family, the Guelphs, so that the 
present King of England's brother is 
Duke of Connacht^-j QQq[^ 



April, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



in 



During the Insurrection which com- 
menced in 1641 Colonel John Bourke 
OÍ Mayo commanded the Irish forces in 
Connacht Tibbot-na'Long*8 son, Miles 
Bourke, second Viscount Mayo, did 
what he could to preserve the peace 
and remained practically neutral; 
nevertheless he was one of those whom 
Cromwell "exempted from pardon of 
life or estate." His son and successor» 
Theobald, did his utmost to prevent 
the massacre of Protestants at Shrule, 
February 13, 1642, and had to be car- 
ried struggling, sword in hand, across 
the bridge, to save his own life, by 
Sheriff John Garvey. 

However, he was tried in Gal way by 
a jury of Gromwellian officers for al- 
leged complicity in the crime, convict- 
ed with what even Froude admits to 
liave been a mockery of the forms of 
justice, and sentenced to death. His 
end was a sickening scene of bungle 
and butchery. Thrice the platoon 
drawn up to shoot him fired, and thrice 
missed him. At length a corporal blind 
of one eye hit him, and the blood of 
the unfortunate Lord Mayo smoked up- 
on the stones. His estates of fifty thou- 
sand acres and five manors were then 



seized by the government, and his 
orphan child allowea a pittance of £30 
a year. 

To him succeeded five other Vis- 
counts Mayo, the family retaining part 
of their estates by turning Protestant. 
They kept hospitable house at Castle 
Bourke, now in ruins, on Lough Carra, 
maintaining bards and narpers, and 
were mostly buried in Ballintubber. 
The line became extinct when John, 
eighth viscount, died in London in 
1767. 

The title was revived in 1781 in favor 
of John Bourke, M. P., for Naas, who 
was created Viscount Mayo, of Money- 
crower, near Ballinrobe, where the 
family still retains a remnant of their 
former possessions. In 1785 he was 
made Earl of Mayo. He was a de- 
scendant of a MacWilliam, John of the 
Termon, who died in 1550. The seat of 
the Earl of Mayo is Palmerston House, 
Straftan, Co. Klldare. The present 
Earl's father, Richard Southwell 
Bourke, Viceroy of India, was assasin- 
ated in the Andaman Islands, Febru- 
ary 8, 1872. Probably the present Vis- 
count Mayo has never seen the county 
from which he takes his title. 



Sir Richard Bingham, the Bourkes' 
old enemy and almost exterminator, 
died in Dublin in 1599, aged 70, "with 
an assured faith in Christ," says the 
grim adventurer's monument, in the 
south aisle of Westminster Abbey. He 
left only a daughter. His brother John 
landgrabbed extensively in Mayo, ob- 
taining in particular the fine estate of 
the Bourkes of Castlebar, which the 
Bingham family still retains. 

One of John Bingham's descendants 
married Anne Vesey, grandniece of the 
celebrated Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan; 
hence the latter title was revived for 
Sir Charles Bingham of Castlebar in 
1775, ancestor of the late Earl of Lu- 
can, of Balaklava charge-the-guns cele- 
brity, one of the greatest exterminators 
in Ireland in the famine days. An- 
other branch of the Binghams, also oc- 
cupying lands formerly owned by the 
Bourkes, at Ballyglass and Foxford, is 
that of Lord Clanmorris. The first 
lord got his title in 1800, with an im- 
mense sum of money, for voting for the 
Union with England. 

In north Mayo the forfeited lands of 
the Bourkes were granted to Sir Ar- 
thur Gore, ancestor of the Earl of 




.RUINS7 0P MOYNE ABBEY, POUNDED BY THE BOURKES. PROM A REC 



B^fiíí^ó^^ifciiQ.og le 



U2 



THE GAEL. 



April, J903. 



Arran (whose seat is Deel Castle, now 
Castle Gore), also to the Jacksons, 
Vaughans, Watts, Webbs and other 
Cromwellian troopers. The forfeitures 
In Mayo amounted to 19,294 acres of 
land, valued at £87,598 8s. 

One of the last of the famous fighting 
Bourkes of Mayo was Walter Bourke 
of Turlough. He was member of par- 
liament for Mayo and raised a regi- 
ment for King James in 1690. At the 
battle of Aughrim he held the old cas- 
tle on the Irish left and lost nearly all 
his men, they being by mistake or 
treachery supplied with bullets that 
would not fit their muskets. On the 
Continent he commanded the cele- 
brated Regiment of Bourke, which won 
special distinction at Cremona: 
•*Would you read our name In honor*» 
roll. 

Look not for roykl grant; 
It is written in Cassano 

Alcoy and Aliante. 
Saragossa, Barcelona, 

Wherever dangers lurk 
Tou will find in the van the blue and 
the buff 

Of the Regiment of Bourke." 

This gallant commander died a field 
marshal at Barcelona in 1*175. His 
brother. Captain Thomas, proved a 
traitor to King James and betrayed 
Galway to the enemy. Captain Will- 
iam Bourke, of the Ballinrobe branch, 
besieged in the castle of Grange, Co. 
81igo, in 1691, blew up the place and 
died with all his men rather than sur- 
render to the Williamites. The 
Bourkes' estate of Turlough was grant- 
ed to the Fitzgeralds, one of whom was 
the celebrated duellist, George Robert, 
'•fighting Fitzgerald," who was hanged 
at Castlebar in 1786. 

In the Irish army of James II. there 
were about eighty commissioned offi- 
cers of the surname of Bourke or 
Burke, including five noblemen; hence 
the ax of confiscation struck heavily 
for the third time at the clan— root, 
trunk and branch — involving general 
attaintment^ and exodus, so that when 



LOUGH MASK 




RUINS OF THE HAG S CASTLE. LOUGr MASK 



more than a century 
later the French 
landed in Ireland, at 
Kllcummin, in the 
extreme north of the 
old territory of the 
Clan Uilliam, there 
was but one Bourke 
of p r o m i n ence to 
Join them in that 
desperate effort to 
free Ireland from 
English rule. He was 
Richard Bourke of 
Ballina, and he paid 
with his Ufe for his 
patriotism, being 
hanged by the Eng- 
lish at Killala in 
September, 1798. 

Shawn More's brother, David Bourke 
of Rathroe Castle, slain at Shrule bat- 
tle in 1570, left as posterity the 
Bourkes of Rathroe, Iniscoe and Car- 
rowkeel (west of Lough Conn). Of 
this line was "big Walter," the coun- 
sellor, famed as a Mayo lawyer and 
wit half a century ago, also the late 
Canon Ulick Bourke, a good Irish 
scholar and author of many excellent 
works on Irish history. Nephew of 
the counsellor was the late ill-fated 
Walter M. Bourke, of Curraleagh, near 
Claremorris, himself a counsellor, who 
after a brilliant and successful career 
in India, returned to Ireland in the 
Land League days, made a losing race 
as candidate for M. P. of Mayo, had 
various disputes with his tenantry, and 
was unfortunately shot to death, with 
a soldier escort, near his residence in 
Rahassane Park, near Gort, Co. Gal- 
way, June 8, 1882, the laet Bourke of 
prominence in the affairs of Mayo. 

In all the extensive territory once 
occupied by the clan and still thickly 
strewn with the grey or ivied ruins of 
the castles of the chief Bourkes, vain 
now to search for a representative man 
of the surname. A few petty landlords 
and lawyers, a sprmkllng of farmers 
and shopkeepers, this Is the amazlDg 
littie that is left of 
the once numerous 
descendants of Will- 
lam de Burgo in 
Lower Connacht, the 
able, war-like, pow- 
erful race that for 
centuries Independ- 
ently owned the soil, 
with their own laws 
and customs, their 
own flag and army. 
Few or none of the 




CASTLE. ANCIENT 
BOURKES. 



RESIDENCE OP THE 



name may be found on the present 
public boards or bodies of the county. 
Rapid and brilliant was the rise of the 
Burcagh chieftains; marvelous and 
melancholy their fall. Not a bard has 
raised a lament over their departed 
glory; from Bally castle to Shrule the 
wild birds nestle In their dismantled 
towers, the grass springs unkempt over 
their forgotten graves. 

And so, under the relentless law of 
phantasmagorian Irish change, passed 
the Clan UillUm. 



Irish Indtsstries and the G>al 
Supply* 

THE Dublin "Daily News" says: 
"That Ireland has great natural 
resources awaiting development 
Is a matter of common knowledge. But 
an idea exists In this country that 
there is a lack of capital in Ireland for 
development purposes. That is not 
really the case. 

"Desperately poor as so many of the 
peasantry are, there is no lack of 
money in Ireland, and the object of 
those at the head of the new movement 
Is to encourage Irishmen to invest it 
for the development of their own land. 
If Irishmen had invested at home the 
money they have lost in recent years 
in shaky companies their cpuntry 
would be better off to-day. It is not 
English capital that Ireland wants as 
much as Irish Investments in Ireland; 
English capital will follow. 

'* 'Ireland has no coal,' is the objec- 
tion always raised when industrial 
schemes are projected. That might 
have been a fatal objection at one 
time, but not since the perfection of 
electric motor power, for the genera- 
tion of which Ireland has a copious 
supply of water,*' 



Digiti 



rater, ^^^ t 

zedbyCjOOgle 



April, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



U3 




THE New York Times is the repre- 
sentatiye In the United States 
of the London Times and of 
course follows in the footsteps of its 
notorious namesake in belittling and 
decrying almost everything Irish. The 
Irish Literary Revival is the latest ob- 
ject of attack and the New York Times 
loses no opportunity of ridiculing it. 

The Times prints each week a sign- 
ed letter from its London correspond- 
ent, W. L. Alden, in which everything 
British is lauded and everything in the 
most remote way anti British is found 
fault with. 

During the Boer war Mr. Alden* 
found constant opportunity to inter- 
ject his anti-Boer views into his lit- 
erary (?) letters to The Times and we 
happen to know half a dozen Times' 
readers who stopped taking that paper 
because of it. When President 
Kruger's book was announced Mr. 
Alden, as was to be expected, declared 
it in substance to be utterly worthless, 
unreliable, and untrue. 

In The New York Times of Febru- 
ary 7th last Mr. Alden gravely stated 
in his London letter, which is always 
given a prominent place in the paper, 
that he does not believe there are more 
than four, or at the most five persons 
who can read Irish— then wherefore 
the use of printing books or papers in 
Irish? 

In reply to that statement in The 
Times Mr. John Quinn, a young 
American-Irish lawyer, sent a letter to 
that paper which they refused to pub- 
lish. The New York Sun gladly found 
place for it and it is such an excellent 
letter and covers the ground so thor- 
oughly that we reprint it herewith : 
To the Editor of The Sun: 

Sir:— A writer from London, of the 
cheap, slap-dash sort, lately spoke of 
"the so-called Irish literary move- 
ment" as "the maddest of all literary 
«razes," and asserted that not more 



than five people have ever wasted their 
time in learning an obsolete language 
without a literature to repay the trou- 
bue. Now« what are the facts? 

Up to the great famine in Ireland in 
1847 the Irish language may be said, 
roughly speaking, to have been the 
language of the whole of Ireland, ex- 
cept the northeast corner, and it had 
been spoken there for two thousand 
>ears not only by the Milesians them- 
selves but also by the children of every 
invader who gained footing in Ireland 
— Normans, Danes, Elizabethans and 
Cromwellians. 

Because of the enforced emigration 
the population of Ireland since the 
famine has diminished by over one- 
half. During that time the Irish lan- 
guage, because of the efforts of the so- 
called "national schools" which ex- 
cluded Irish from their courses, and 
the poverty of the people, which made 
them unable to provide Irish teachers 
of their own or to print and buy Irish 
books for themselves, was threatened 
with extinction. Consequently the 
Gaelic League was formed not as "a 
literary craze," but with the noble ob- 
ject of preserving to the Irish people 
the priceless heritage of their language 
in which was enshrined their history, 
their tradition, their poetry, their 
great epics, and the very soul and 
genius of their race. 

The Irish language has never died 
out It has always been a living lan- 
guage, largely as the result of the pro- 
paganda of the Gaelic League during 
the last fifteen years. The official cen- 
sus of Ireland for 1901 shows that tne 
number of persons returned as speak- 
ing only Irish was 38,192, and the num- 
ber speaking both Irish and English 
was 640,953, making a total of Irish 
speakers in Ireland in the year 1901 
of 679,145. Look at these statistics of 
those who spoke Irish and those who 
spoke both Irish and English: 



Irish Irish and 

Counties. Only. English. 

Cork 2,273 117,447 

Donegal 7,073 65,000 

Gal way 17,638 107,929 

Kerry 4,481 69,701 

Mayo 4.234 106,131 

Waterford ..... 1,321 36,168 

Irish is also largely spoken in the 
highlands of Scotland by nearly as 
many people who know no English as 
in Ireland itself, the number being es- 
timated at about 40,000. Irish is, in 
short, to-day the living tongue of al- 
most as many people as speak half a 
dozen modern languages of Europe — 
Welsh, Greek, Servian, Bulgarian, 
Norwegian or Danish. 

It is the living language of nearly 
700,000 people; hundreds of books and 
pamphlets are printed monthly in it, 
newspapers entirely in the Irish lan- 
guage, even down to the advertise- 
ments, are printed and circulated 
weekly throughout Ireland; addresses 
and songs and speeches and poems in 
Irish are spoken and recited from 
stages where not a word of English is 
spoken; sermons are preached and 
prayers are read in Irish, and scholars 
from many universities of Europe go 
each year to Ireland to study the Irish 
language as spoken by the people of 
Ireland to-day. 

To-day the Gaelic League under the 
presidency of Dr. Douglas Hyde has 
over four hundred branches through- 
out Ireland, each branch with a mem- 
bership of from fifty to four hundred 
members. Many thousands of Irish 
children are studying Irish in the 
schools. The Gaelic Lieague has sold 
50,000 of its Irish textbooks in a sin- 
gle year. Pine plays are written and 
successfully performed in Irish. I my- 
self in September last attended a Fds, 
or festival, at Kllleeneen, in County 
Galway, near the burial place of the 
Irish poet Raftery, where there were 
over two thousa^3^ people assembled 
Digitized by VnC 



114 



THE GAEL» 



April, Í903. 



on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to 
listen to speeches, songs and recita- 
tions in Irish from a platform where 
not a single word of English was 
spoken throughout the entire day. Out 
of the 2,000 people there assembled, 
certainly ninety in every hundred un- 
derstopd and talked Irish as their na- 
tive tongue. 

So far from being the "maddest of 
all literary crazes," European scholars 
like Zeuss, Bopp, Grimm, Ebel, Zim- 
mer, Windisch, Zimmerman, D'Arbois 
De Jubainville, Dr. Whitely Stokes, 
Dr. Standish Hayes O'Grady, Prof. 
Kuno Meyer and Dr. Douglas Hyde, 
to name only a few out of many, have 
devoted a large part of their lives to 
the study of Irish literature and the 
Irish language. The twenty-two vol- 
umes of the "Revue Celtique" are de- 
voted to the Celtic language- and lit- 
erature, and there are kindred German 
publications, the "Zeitschrift fur Ceit- 
ische Philologie" and the "Irische 
Texte," edited by Dr. Ernst Windisch 
of the University of Leipsic. 

Standish Hayes O'Grady's great 
catalogue of the Irish manuscripts in 
the British Museum, of history, law, 
medicine, poetry and folklore, occu- 
pies nearly seven hundred pages and 
is one of the most fascinating Irish 
books ever published. It is estimated 
by a competent scholar that there is 
still in manuscript in Ireland enough 
of Irish written within the last two 
hundred years to fill a couple of hun- 
tlred octavo volumes. The Royal Irish 
Academy has catalogued about one- 
half of the manuscripts in it and the 
catalogue is contained in thirteen vol- 
umes, with 3,448 pages, and contains 
about ten thousand pieces, varying 
from perhaps a single verse of a song 
up to a long epic. M. Georges Dottin, 
Professor of French literature in the 
University of Rennes, writes: 

"It is not with Greek that Irish 
ought to be compared, it is rather with 
the literatures of the Middle Ages — 
French, Germanic, and the rest. From 
this point of view Irish literature, al- 
most as considerable as the French 
literature of the Middle Ages, pos- 
sesses the same qualities and the same 
defects — qualities of imagination and 
of picturesqueness, defects of composi- 
tion and expression. Nobody has ever 
contested the interest of the French 
literature of the Middle Ages, and I 
cannot believe that any one could 
dream of seriously denying the quali- 
ties possessed by the ancient litera- 
ture of Ireland." 



Irish literature possesses an almost 
perfect system of prosody, self-evolv- 
ed, self-invented in Irish, that no other 
European country possesses. As early 
even as the year 750 Irish poets were 
making most perfect rhymes, a thing 
not known for at least two centuries 
later in any other modern vernacular; 
and the great scholar Zeuss, who put 
Celtic studies on a sure foundation, 
and Constantln Nigra hav^ strongly 
urged the fact that it is to the Celts 
that Europe owes the very invention of 
rhyme, and the modern poets of Ire- 
land have carried rhymfl *^ a perfec- 
tion that people who have not actually 
read their poems cannot even dream 
of. 

Dr. Hyde's monumental "Literary 
History of Ireland" will reveal to any 
person interested in the subject con- 
clusive evidences that the Irish lan- 
guage is one of the richest and its 
older literature among the greatest of 
the older literatures of the world. Dr. 
91gerson's "Bards of the Gael and 
Gall," an anthology of very nearly one 
hundred and fifty poems metrically 
translated from the Irish and covering 
the ground from the earliest unrhymed 
chant down to the peasant days of the 
eighteenth century, puts it into the 
power of any English readers to judge 
of some of the qualities of Irish poetry 
for themselves. The Irish translation 
of the New Testament is older than the 
English version or than the Douay edi- 
tion of the Old Testament. 

I would also refer to Lady Gregory's 
monumental and beautiful translation 
of the Irish prose stories centering 
around the life and death of Cuchulaln, 
known as "Cuchulain of Mulrthemne" 
(London: John Mu(rray, 1902). Let 
any one read Lady Gregory's spirited 
rendering of "The Courting of Emer," 
or "Bricriu's Feast," or "The War of 
Words of the Women of Ulster," or 
"The Fate of the Children of Usnach," 
or "The War for the Bull of Cuallgue," 
or "The Only Jealousy of Emer," or 
"The Great Gathering at Mulrthemne" 
and "The Death of Cuchulain," and 
see if there is "no Irish literature." 

"Its immense merit as Lcerature," 
says a writer in The Nineteenth Cen- 
tury Magazine of last May, "is that, 
without tampering with the text, or 
rather the many texts, of the manu- 
scripts it has followed, it has succeed- 
ed in giving to a series of disconnected 
episodes a single romantic form, build- 
ing it into a single tragic story, pre- 
cisely as 500 years ago Malory turned 
out of the Arthurian legends his eter- 



nal monument, 'The Life and Death of 
King Arthur.' " 

Mr. Henry Newbolt, in The Monthly 
Review of last November, speaks of 
Liady Gregory's translation as "a trea- 
sure that will be ours for our lives and 
a joy for many generations after us," 
and he says further: 

"The Celtic heroes have the magic 
gift, which the Greek heroes had not, 
01! inspiring their English interpreters. 
We have known four-and-twenty ver- 
sions of Homer, and, fine as some of 
them are, we all agree with Mr. Lang 
that none is, or is likely to be, a final 
one. On the other hand, Lady Greg- 
ory's 'Cuchulain' was not born for 
death: he is not like him 'who slew 
the slayer, and shall himself be slain.' 
• • • The beauty of the women^ 
Deirdre and Emer and those other 
brides of ancient song, is more con- 
vincing than that of all the Brynhllds, 
and the passions of Nibelungs and Vol- 
sungs are hoarse and barbarous com- 
pared with the loves and hates of Cu- 
chulain and his peers. ♦ ♦ ♦ It is 
characteristic of these legends that 
with all their vivid sense of beauty 
and brilliantly seen coloring, they 
have, as compared with The Iliad' or 
'The Odyssey,' less material splendor 
and more spiritual, less of manner and 
more of feeling, and a sense of mystery 
or of imaginative romance that is en- 
tirely wanting to the Greek. The pas- 
sage at the conclusion of the great epic 
(the death of Cuchulain) does not 
strike us as less true to human life 
than the burial of Hector or the final 
scene between Odysseus and Athena." 

I need not refer, to Renan's well- 
known essay on "The Poetry of the 
Celtic Races" and to Matthew Arnold's 
fascinating "Study of Celtic Litera- 
ture." JOHN QUINN. 



Pre-Phocnidan Writing In 
Ctetc* 

MR. ARTHUR EVANS, whose 
name is identified with the re- 
cent excavations on the site of 
the Palace of Minos in Crete recently, 
gave a lecture at the Royal Institution 
in London in which he advanced his 
belief that well-defined writing existed 
among the Greeks as early as 1800 
B. C, and doubtless could be traced 
back as far as 3000 B. C. He has been 
able to trace the evolution of pure 
plctographic writing to linear — a syl- 
labary growing out of plctographic 
forms. His inference is that these 
forms were not borrowed from Egypt, 
but were indigenl^,^,.^.^!^ 
Digitized by V^OOy IC 



April, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



US 




A Famous Mayo Poet 



Lecture by Dr« Dougflas Hyde* 



AT a recent meeting of the National 
Literary Society, Dublin, a lec- 
ture entitled "A Poet of Mayo" 
was delivered by Dr. Douglas Hyde be- 
fore a large audience. The lecture had 
reference to the life and poems of Raf- 
tery, a biography and appreciation of 
whose worls Dr. Hyde has compiled as 
the results of much labor and re- 
search. 

Dr. Sigerson, F. R. U. I., who pre- 
sided, in introducing the lecturer, 
spoke of his distinguished literary 
work, the result of wide investigation, 
research, and critical judgment. Not 
the least of his services to his country 
and its literature was his discovery 
of the literature of Connacht. Since 
the days of Hardiman that province 
had lain in darkness, and was looked 
upon as unproductive. Dr. Hyde had 
cleared away the cloud with complete- 
ness, and had shown to them a litera- 
ture forgotten and neglected, yet beau- 
tifuL 

Dr. Hyde, who was received with ap- 
plause, said he wanted to speak of one 
of the most remarkable men of whom 
he had ever found traces in the West 
of Ireland, and one of the strangest 
I>oet8 that ever wrote a verse or com- 
posed a stanza. The man whom he was 
going to speak of was one of those 
many geniuses of whom Ireland still 
remained in almost complete Ignor- 
ance — a man whose life and deeds and 
works could only have been recovered 
by the longest and closest and most 
diligent searching amongst the old 
people of a generation who had now 
almost passed away. 

The hero of the paper was a man 
who could neither read nor write. He 
had no access to books of any kind, or 
to any form of literature, except what, 



his eyes being blind, he was able to 
pick up through his ears as he traveled 
from peasant's cottage to peasant's 
cottage with his bag over his shoulder, 
picking up as he went, his day's meal. 
Proceeding, Dr. Hyde went on to de- 
scribe how he first came upon traces 
of Raftery. 

About twenty years ago, when he 
was a gossoon, he was going out one 
frosty morning with his gun on his 
shoulder and his dog at his heel, when 
be saw an old man sitting at the door 
of a cottage singing to himself an old 
Irish song, which, as it afterwards 
turned out, was Raftery 's "County of 
Mayo." The old man, at his request, 
taught him the song, and he went his 
way. It was fully twelve years after 
when he again came on traces of the 
poet, whom he did not know at the 
time had written the song. 

He was one day in the Royal Irish 
Academy poking through some old 
manuscripts that were lying there rot- 
ting on the shelves, when he came up- 
on a little manuscript written In a 
shaky, scrawling hand, containing a 
number of poems ascribed to a man 
called Raftery, and amongst them the 
very song that he had learned that 
blessed morning long ago. Seven years 
more elapsed before he came on what 
the African hunter would call a "hot 
spoor" of Raftery. He had taken a 
house in Blackrock, and was walking 
down to the station one morning when 
he met an old blind man begging alms. 
Having given him a penny and passed 
on * about a hundred yards it struck 
him suddenly that he should have ad- 
dresse'd the old man In Irish. He turn- 
ed back, and having addressed the old 
man again, found he could speak excel- 
lent Irish. He conversed with him for 




an hour, and amongst the things they 
talked about was Raftery. 

The old man gave him minute direc- 
tions as to a little house In a village 
in Southern Galway into which Raftery 
had been taken to die. Three or four 
years ago. Dr. Hyde went on to say, he 
found himself In the locality denoted, 
and going ten or twelve miles out of 
his way actually found the Identical 
old man who had tended Raftery on 
his sick bed, had called in the priest 
for him, and had seen him die. Every- 
body in the village knew something 
about him, but nobody had written 
down his poems. The old man indi- 
cated a place where he had heard there 
was a man who had Raftery 's poems 
written down in a book. He went 
there and found that the man had gone 
to America twenty years before and 
taken the book with him. He was di- 
rected to another house where the 
poems were, but with the same luck— 
the man had taken the book with him 
to America fifteen years ago. 

With the aid of some of the people 
he was able to get some of Raftery 's 
poems, and took them down. With 
the help of Lady Gregory he was able 
to find out a third manuscript belong- 
ing to an old stonecutter, which con- 
tained fifteen or sixteen poems in ad- 
dition to those he had already got 
Then he came back to the Royal Irish 
Academy, but could not get a trace of 
the old manuscript he had seen many 
years ago. The Index and catalogue 
afforded him no assistance, because, 
said Dr. Hyde, since the death of 
O'Curry they had left it in exactly the 
condition that that great Irishman had 
let it pass from his hands uncompleted. 
But after two whole days' search he 
again found the little roll of paper. 



U6 

and discovered that it contained 
twenty poems, several of which he had 
not got before. 

Other poems had been got from Miss 
McManus, the editor of the "Gaelic 
Journal/' the town clerk of Tuam, and 
Father O'Looney, of Loughrea. One 
was obtained from a pawnbroker in 
Dublin, and several more came from 
out of the way directions. Altogether 
he had collected forty-five poems that 
everybody believed were lost and gone. 

Dr. Hyde, in the concluding portion 
of his paper, described Raftery and the 
times he lived in, as illustrated by his 
poems, many of which he read out in 
Gaelic and in English. Born between 
1780 and 1790, he saw the light first 
near Kiltimagh, his parents being very 
poor people. Smallpox deprived him 
of his sight early in life« so that he 
had never any better occupation with 
which to make a living, than that of 
fiddler. Yet, though absolutely desti- 
tute and practically dependent on 
alms, no poet of the people had ever 
exercised so widespread infiuence upon 
those among whom he lived. It was 
only in Ireland that the poems and 
life of such a man could have been all 
but absolutely lost, and it was passing 
curious that their recovery should have 
been the result of the mere accident 
of a man walking back a hundred 
yards to give a penny to a blind beg- 
gar. 

On the motion of Dr. M. F. Cox, M. 
R. I. A., seconded by Miss McManus, 
and supported by Mr. Hugh Kennedy, 
B. L., and Miss Agnes O'Connor, a vote 
of thanks was passed to Dr. Hyde for 
his lecture. 



THE GAEL* 



April Í903* 



GOLDSMITH'S house in London, 6 
Wine Office Court, Fleet Street, 
where he dwelt from 1761 to 1764 
has lately been braced up by wooden 
crutches, in order to prevent its fall- 
ing down in company with the house 
next door, but preparatory to its own 
demolishment. 

It was here that Goldsmith lived 
with a relative of John Newbery, his 
publisher. The arrangement was that 
New4)ery'6 man should continually 
urge the not over diligent author to 
produce copy, and the device was more 
or less successful. 

Here Goldsmith was visited by Dr. 
Johnson, who is said to have dressed 
with Immaculate neatness on these oc- 
casions in order to set an example to 
his careless friend — truly an amusing 
picture of the untidy old moralist. In 
this house Goldsmith wrote "The 
Traveller," and probably finished "The 
Vicar of Wakefield." 




An Aotumn Night in the Hifls. 




By J. H. 

FEW years ago a point- 
er dog of my acquaint- 
ance was wounded by 
accident in a wild glen 
on the western slope 
of County Wicklow. 
He was left at the cot- 
!tage of an under-keep- 
er, or bailift— the last 
cottage on the edge of 
two ranges of mountains that stretch 
on the north and west to the plain of 
Kildare — and a few weeks later I made 
my way there to bring him down to his 
master. 

It was an afternoon of September, 
and some heavy rain of the night be- 
fore had made the road which led up 
to the cottage* through the middle of 
the glen as smooth as a fine beach, 
while the clearness of the air gave the 
granite that ran up on either side of 
the way a peculiar tinge that was 
nearly luminous against the shadow of 
the hills. Bvery cottage that I passed 
had a group of rowan trees beside it 
covered with scarlet berries that gave 
brilliant points of color of curious 
eftect 

Just as I came to the cottage the road 
turned across a swollen river which I 
had to cross on a range of slip- 
pery stones. Then, when I had gone a 
few yards further, I heard a bark of 
welcome, and the dog ran down to meet 
me. The noise he made brought two 
women to the door of the cottage, one 
a finely made girl, with an exquisitely 
open and graceful manner, the other a 
very old woman. A sudden shower had 
come up without any warning over the 
rim of the valley, so 1 went into the 
cottage and sat down on a sort of 
bench in the chimney-corner, at the 
end of a long low room with open 
rafters. 

"You've come on a bad day," said the 
old woman, "for you won't see any of 
the lads or men about the place." 

"I suppose they went out to cut their 
oats," I said, "this morning while the 
weather was fine." 
"They did not," she answered, "but 



Syngfe* 

they're after going down to Aughrim 
for the body of Mary Kmsella, that is 
to be brought this night from the eta^ 
tion. There will be a wake then at 
the last cottage you're after passing, 
where you saw all them trees with the 
red berries on them." 

She stopped for a moment while the 
girl gave me a drink of milk. 

"I'm afraid it's a lot of trouble I'm 
giving you," I said as I took it, "and 
you busy, with no men in the place." 

"No trouble at all in the world," said 
the girl, "and If it was itself, wouldn't 
any one be glad of it in the lonesome 
place we're in." 

The old woman began talking again: 

"Tou saw no sign or trace on the 
road of the people coming with the 
body?" 

"No sign," I said, "and who was she 
at all?" 

"She was a fine young woman with 
two children," she went on, "and a year 
and a half ago she went wrong In her 
head, and they had to send her away. 
And then up there in the Richmond 
asylum maybe they thought the sooner 
they were shut of her the better, for 
she died two days ago this mornins, 
and now they're bringing her up to 
have a wake, and they'll bury her be- 
yond at the churches, far aa it is, for 
it's there are all the people of the two 
families." 

While we talked I had been exam- 
ining a wound In the dog's side near 
the end of his lung. 

"He'll do rightly now," said the girl 
who had come in again and was put- 
ting tea-things on the table. "He'll 
do rightly now. You wouldn't know 
he'd been hurted at all only for a kind 
of a cough he'll give now and again. 
Did they ever tell you the way he waa 
hit?" she added, going down on her 
knees in the chimney-corner with some 
dry twigs in her hand and making a 
little fire on the fiag-etone a few inches 
from the tiirf. 

I told her I had heard nothing but 
the fact of his wound. 
"Well," she sa^"a great^darkneas 

Digiti: 



3ll," she BaA^"tL great^dar 
Digitized byV^OOQlC 



April, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



m 



and storm came down that night and 
they all out on the hill. The rivers 
rose, and they were there groping along 
by the turf track not minding the dogs. 
Then an old rabbit got up and run be- 
fore them, and a man put up his gun 
and shot across It. When he fired that 
dog run out from behind a rock, and 
one grain of the shot cut the scruft 
off his nose, and another went In there 
where you were looking, at the but of 
his ribs. He dropped down bleeding 
and howling, and they thought he was 
killed. The night was falling and they 
had no way they could carry him, so 
they made a kind of a shelter for him 
with sticks and turf, and they left him 
while they would be going for a sack." 

She stopped for a moment to knead 
some dough and put down a dozen hot 
cakes— cut out with the mouth of a 
tumblei^— in a frying pan on the little 
fire she had made with the twigs. 
While she was doing so the old woman 
took up the talk. 

"Ah," she said, "there do be queer 
things them nights out on the moun- 
tains and in the lakes among them. I 
was reared beyond in the valley where 
the mines used to be, in the valley of 
the Lough Nahanagan, and it's many 
a queer story I've heard of the spirit 



does be in that lake." 

"I have sometimes been there fish- 
ing till it was dark," I said when she 
paused, "and heard strange noises In 
the cliff." 

"There was an uncle of mine," she 
continued, "and he was there the same 
way as yourself, fishing with a big fly 
in the darkness of the night, and the 
spirit came down out of the clouds and 
rifted the waters asunder. He was 
afeared then and he run down to the 
houses trembling and shaking. There 
was another time," she went on, "a 
man came round to this county who 
was after swimming through the water 
of every lake in Ireland. He went up 
to swim in that lake, and a brother of 
my own went up along with him. The 
gentleman had heard tell of the spirit 
but not a bit would he believe in it He 
went down on the bank, and he had a 
big black dog with him, and he took 
oft his clothes. 

" 'For the love of God/ said my 
brother, 'put that dog in before you go 
In yourself, the way you'll see if he 
ever comes out of it.' The gentleman 
said he would do that and they threw 
in a stick or a stone and the dog leapt 
in and swam out to it. Then he turned 
round again and he swam and he 



swam, and not a bit nearer did he 
come. 

" 'He's a long time swimming back,' 
said the gentleman. 

" 'I'm thinking your honor'U have a 
grey beard before he comes back,' said 
my brother, and before the word was 
out of his mouth the dog went down 
out of their sight, and the inside out 
of him came up on the top of the 
water." 

By this time the cakes were ready 
and the girl put them on a plate for 
me at the table, and poured out a cup 
of tea from the tea-pot, putting the 
milk and sugar herself into my cup as 
is the custom with the cottage people 
of Wlcklow. Then she put the tea-pot 
down in the embers of the turf and sat 
down in the place I had left 

"Well," she said, "I was telling you 
the story of that night. When they 
got back here they sent up two lads for 
the dog, with a sack to carry him on 
if he was alive and a spade to bury him 
if he was dead. When they came to 
the turf where they left him they saw 
him near twenty yards down the path. 
The crathur thought they were after 
leaving him there to die, and he got 
that lonesome he dragged himself along 
like a Christian till he got too weak 




* YOU'VE COMB ON A BAD DAY,'* SAID THE OLD WOMAN. 



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THE GAEL^ 



April, 1903* 



with the bleeding. James, the big lad, 
walked up again him first with the 
spade in his hand. When he seen the 
spade he let a kind of a groan out of 
him. 

'That dog's as wise as a child, and 
he knew right well it was to bury him 
they brought the spade. Then Mike 
went up and laid down the sack on the 
ground, and the minute he seen it he 
jumped up and tumbled in on it him- 
self. Then they carried him down, and 
the erathur getting his death with the 
cold and the great rain was falling. 
When they brought him in here you'd 
have thought he was dead. We put 
up a settle bed before the fire, and we 
put him into it. The heat roused him 
a bit, and he stretched out his legs 
and gave two groans out of him like 
an old man: Mike thought he'd drink 
some milk so we heated a cup of it over 
the fire. When he put down his tongue 
into it he began to cough and bleed, 
then he turned himself over in the set- 
tle bed and looked up at me like an 
old man. I sat up with him that night 
and it raining and blowing. At four in 
the morning I gave him a sup more 
of the milk and he was able to drink It. 

'The next day he was stronger, and 
we gave him a little new milk every 
now and again. We couldn't keep him 
here all day in the kitchen so we put 
him in the little room beyond by the 
door and an armful of hay in along 
with him. In the afternoon the boys 
were out on the mountain and the old 
woman was gone somewhere else, and 
I was chopping sticks in the lane. I 
heard a sort of a noise and there he 
was with his head out through the win- 
dow looking out on me in the lane. I 
was afraid he was lonesome in there 
all by himself, so I put in one of our 
old dogs to keep him company. Then 
I stuffed an old hat into the window 
and I thought they'd be quiet together. 

"But what did they do but begin to 
fight in there all in the dark as they 
were. I opened the door and out runs 
that lad before I could stop him. Not 
a bit would he go in again, so I had to 
leave him running about beside me. 
He/s that loyal to me now you wouldn't 
believe it. When I go for the cow 
he comes along with me, and when I 
go to make up a bit of hay on the 
hill he'll come and make a sort of bed 
for himself under a haycock, and not 
a bit of him will look at Mike or the 
boys." 

"Ah," said the old woman, as the girl 
got up to pour me out another cup from 
the tea-pot, "it's herself will be lone- 



some when that dog is gone, he's never 
out of her sight, and you'd do right to 
send her down a little dog all for her- 
self." 

"You would so," said the girl, "but 
maybe he wouldn't be loyal to me. and 
I wouldn't give a thraneen for a dog as 
wasn't loyal." 

"Would you believe it," said the old 
woman again, "when the gentleman 
wrote down about that dog Mike went 
out to where she was in the haggard, 
and says They're after sending me the 
prescription for thai dog,* says he, 'to 
put on his tombstone.' And she went 
down quite simple, and told the boys 
below in the bog, and it wasn't till 
they began making game of her that 
she seen the way she'd been hum- 
bugged." 

"That's the truth," said the girl, "X 
went down quite simple, and indeed it's 
a small wonder, that dog*s as fit for a 
decent burial as many that gets it." 

Meanwhile the shower had turned to 
a dense torrent of mountain rain, and 
although the evening was hardly com- 
ing on, it was so dark that the girl 
lighted a lamp and hung it at the cor- 
ner of the chimney. The kitchen was 
longer than most that I have met with 
and had a skeleton stircase at the far 
end that looked vague and shadowy in 
the dim light from the lamp. The old 
woman wore one of the old-fashioned 
caps with a white frill round the 
face, and entered with great fitness in- 
to the general scheme of the kitchen. 
I did not like leaving them to go into 
the raw night for a long walk on the 
mountains, and I sat down and talked 
to them for a long time, till the old 
woman thought I would be benighted. 

"Go out now," she said at last to the 
girl, "go out now and see what water 
is coming over the fall above, lor with 
this rain the water'll rise fast, and 
maybe he'll have to walk down to the 
bridge, a rough walk when the night 
is coming on." 

The girl came back in a moment. 

"It's riz already," she said. "He'll 
want to go down to the bridge." Then 
turning to me: "If you'll come now I'll 
show you the way you have to go, and 
I'll wait below for the boys; it won't 
be long now till they come with the 
body of Mary Klnselia." 

We went out at once and she walked 
quickly before me through a maze of 
small fields and pieces of bog, where I 
woul^ have soon lost the track if I had 
been alone. 

The oridge, wnen we reached it, was 
a narrow wooden structure fastened up 



on iron bars which pierced large bould- 
ers in the bed of the river. An Im- 
mense grey fiood was struggling among 
the stones, looking dangerous and 
desolate in the half-light of the even- 
ing, while the wind was so great that 
the bridge wailed and quivered and 
whistled under our feet. A few paces 
further on we came to a cottage where 
the girl wished me a good journey and 
went in to wait for her brothers. 

The daylight still lingered but the 
heavy rain and a thick white cloud that 
had come down made everything un- 
real and dismal to an extraordinary de- 
gree. I went up a road where on one 
side I could see the trunks of beech 
trees reaching up wet and motionless — 
with odd sighs and movements when a 
gust caught the valley— into a greynesB 
overhead, where nothing could be dis- 
tinguished. Between them there were 
masses of shadow, and masses of half- 
luminous fog with black branches 
across them. On the other side of the 
road flocks of sheep I could not see 
coughed and choked with sad gutteral 
noises in the shelter of the hedge, or 
rushed away through a gap when they 
felt the dog was near them. Above 
everything my ears were haunted by 
the dead heavy swish of the rain. 
When I came near the first village I 
had to pass I heard noise and commo- 
tion. Many cars and gigs were collected 
at the door of the public house, and the 
bar was filled with men who were 
. drinking and making a noise. Every- 
thing was dark and confused yet on 
one car I was able to make out the 
shadow of a coffin, strapped in the 
rain, with the body of Mary Klnselia. 



Irish Lace* 

SWITZER & CO., Ltd., Dublin, are 
about the largest sellers, whole- 
sale and retail, of Irish lace in 
Ireland. They buy direct from the 
producing centers, and not from local 
wholesale firms, thus saving the 
wearer an Intermediate profit. They 
employ a staff of lace workers in Dub- 
lin and in the country. 



THE GAEL will be sent to any ad- 
dress in the United States or Canada 
for one year for ^1.00, or to any ad- 
dress in Ireland or Great Britain, one 
year for 5 shillings. 

All subscriptions are payable in ad- 
vance. Checks or Post Office Money 
Orders should be made payable to 
THE GAEL, 140 Nassau Street, New 
York. 



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April J903. 



THE GAEL. 



U9 




The Dear Little Widow. 

COSY and warm was the widow's wee kitchen, 
Bright as a button were dresser and shelf, 
Buxom and rosy and sweet as a posy 
Beside the turf-flre sat the widow herself! 
"Welcome!" says she with a smile so bewitchin' 
I knew from that minute her slave I would be; 
While 3'ou'd be wlnkin* the china was cllnkln'. 
And the dear little widow was makln' the tea! 

Sweet were the pancakes and fresh was the butter, 
Neat was the table as heart could desire, 

But what could be sweeter or fresher or neater 

Than Mary herself, as she sat by the fire? 

Was it the tea set my heart In a flutter. 
Or was It the love-light that shone In her glance? 

Drawn by her power as the bee to the flower, 
I sat by her side like a man In a trance! 

'•Mary!" I whispered, at last growln' bolder, 

"Barney?" was all she could say In repiy; 
My arm stole around her and tenderly bound her: 

"My darlln', I'm dyin* about you!" says I. 
Fondly she nestled her neaa on my shoulder: 

"I'd rather you'd live for me Barney!" says she — 
Now the wee kitchen two childre' Is rich In: 

There's one like herself and another like mei 
Belfast. --P. I. MAGUIRE. 



April Memories* 

A GREEN mist hung o'er the waking trees, 
Tlie valley shone m its ecstasies 
Of April— month of the star-bright blossoms 
Dear Island Mother, I cling to these. 

The hawthorn snow-white, the woodbine sweet. 
The wild blue-bell In its lone retreat, 
Np wonder memory always traces 
Olden places with golden feet. 

Over my heart was that soft, sweet air-» 
Childhood Is April everywhere — 
Years ago — and, I sometimes wonder, 
If shadows are still remembered there. 

April, sunny, with smiles and tears 
Like poor Ireland— it chills and cheers. 
Oh. but I long to see the clover 
Over and over — across the years! 

Grief is mine for a mother's thrall. 
For love lies there in a dark, dark pall. 
In Memory's glass, I can see before me 
My father's grave by the abbey wall. 
New York. —EUGENE GEARY. 



The Flower of Finae^ 

A BALLAD OF THE IRISH BRIGADE OF FRANCE. 

By Thomas Davis. 

TThis is one of Davis' finest ballads and tells the story 
of a young Irish couple In the days succeeding the gloom 
of Aughrlm. Fergus O'Farrell campaigned for eight years 
and fell mortally wounded at Ramlllies, where the French, 
under Vllleroy, were defeated by the English, under Marl- 
borough, in May, 1706. Clare's Irish regiment captured, 
while fighting In retreat, the colors of the English regiment 
of Churchill and hung them in the convent of Ypres (eepr) 
In which Bily McMahon, after the death of her lover, be- 
came a nun. "The Cravats" alluded to In the ballad wpre 
the famous Royal Guard of France.] 

BRIGHT red Is the sun on the waves of Lough Sheellng, 
A cool, gentle breeze from the mountain is stealing» 
While fair round its islets the small ripples play. 
But fairer than all Is the Flower of Flnae. 

Her hair Is like night and her eyes like gray morning; 
She trips on the heather, as If Its touch scorning. 
But her heart and her lips are as mlla as May day. 
Sweet EUy MacManon, the Flower of Finae! 

But who down the hillsltie than red deer runs fleeter? 
And who on the lake side Is hastening to greet her? 
Who but Fergus O'Farrell, the fiery and gay— 
The darling and pride of the Flower of Flnae. 

Owe kiss and one clasp and one wild look of gladness. 
But why do they change on a sudden to sadness? 
He had told his hard fortune, no more can he stay — 
He must leave his poor Eily to pine in Flnae. 

He fought at Cremona, she hears of his story. 
He fought at Cassano — she's proud of his glory; 
Yet sadly she sings "Shule Aroon" all the day— 
"Oh come, come, my darling — come home to Flnae!" 

Eight long years have pass'd till she's nigh broken-hearted; 
Her reel and her rock and her flax she has parted. 
She sails with the "Wild Geese" to Flanders away. 
And leaves her sad parents alone In Flnae. 

Lord Clare on the field of Ramlllies is charging. 
Before him the Sassenach squadrons enlarging. 
Behind him "the Cravats" their sections display. 
Beside him rides Fergus and shouts for Finae. 

On the slopes of La Judoigne the Frenchmen are flying. 
Lord Clare and his squadrons the foe still defying. 
Outnumbered and wounded retreat in array. 
And bleeding rides Fergus and thinks of Flnae. 

In the cloisters of Ypres a banner is swaying, 
And by it a pale weeping maiden is praying; 
That flag's the sole trophy of Ramlllies' fray; 
This nun Is poor Eily, the Flower of Fj«ae. 

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120 



THE GAEU 



April, I903* 




APOPUliAR edition of the late Sir 
Sir Charles Gavan Duffy's auto- 
biography, "My Life in Two 
Hemispheres," will be published by 
Mr. Fisher Unwin shortly. This new 
edition will be in two yolumes and 
will be issued in "The Reformer's 
Bookshelf." 



when ready should prove a valuable 
addition to our fast-growing body of 
available Irish literature. 



CT. CLAY & SONS, Cambridge 
University Press, London, an- 
nounce "Two Biographies of 
William Bedell, Bishop of Kilmore, 
with a Selection of his Letters and an 
Unpublished Treatise." Edited with 
Notes by E. S. Shuckburgh, M. A. The 
price is 10s. 



MR. P. F. Collier, of "ColUer's 
Weekly," is establishing a pub- 
lishing business in London, and 
may possibly bring out his clever 
periodical there. He is looking for 
copyrights of the works of the leading 
English writers, and proposes to bring 
out all sorts of good literature "in ac- 
cordance with the latest American 
ideas in printing and binding." 



MR. MICHAEL M'DONAGH, of 
London, who was an intimate 
friend of the late Sir Charles 
Oavan Duffy during the closing years 
of his life, is engaged on a biography 
of the veteran patriot. 

Mr. M'Donagh is eminently fitted for 
the undertaking. He has written 
"J. K. L.," a Biographical Sketch of 
the Great Bishop Doyle, "Irish Life 
and Character," "The Life of O'Con- 
nell," and other works. 



JOHN MURRAY, Publisher, Albe- 
marle St., London, announces a 
new edition of "Wakeman's 
Handbook of Irish Antiquities," edited 
by John Cook, M. A., F. R. S. A. 

This is a revised edition of the late 
W. F. Wakeman's well-known Hand- 
book, with new chapters added on 
burial customs, ogham stones, raths 
and stone forts, lake dwellings, etc., by 
the editor, who has kept in close touch 
with the results of recent scientific ex- 
ploration in Ireland. 



MISS AGNES O'FARRELLY, M. 
A., Dublin, at the request of the 
Irish Texts Society, London, 
has undertaken the work of editing 
the poems of "O'Neachtain, the Meath 
Poet." 
The work is in good hands, and 



MR. T. O'NEILL LANE'S great 
"English-Irish Dictionary" is 
steadily progressing to a finish; 
and, in fact, is at present passing 
through the press. It will be a re- 
markable work for one man to have 
carried through single-handed. 

The author compiled the book in the 
British Museum, in the first instance, 
and he then spent five years in various 
parts of Ireland where the language 
is still spoken revising it. 

The publishers are Messrs. Sealy, 
Bryers & Walker, of Abbey Street. 
Dublin. 



«A 



TRIP on a Jaunting Car" is 
the title of an interesting and 
handsomely gotten-up book 
Just issued by Harper Bros. The vol- 
ume was written by Mr. S. G. Bayne, 
and describes his experiences in a brief 
Irish tour from Londonderry to Cork 
by way of Donegal, Sligo, Connemara 
and Limerick. 

The full page photographs with 
which the volume is illustrated form 
a most attractive feature. 

We can imagine no short European 
trip half so likely to restore a busi- 
ness man as this of Mr. Bayne's, who 
spent his month's vacation among 
some of the most beautiful mountain 
and lake scenery in the world, far from 
the tourist throng, and in the mild, 
soothing air that ensures appetite and 
sleep. 

It is to be hoped that his experiences 
will inspire many, but not too many, 
others to avoid railways and towns, 
and drive at their ease in an Irish 
side-car in that lonely country that 
lies on the extreme western verge of 
Europe. 

The book is advertised on another 
page of this issue. 

^ >^T^O-DAY and To-morrow in Ire- 
** I land" is the title of a work by 
* Stephen Gwynn. Hodges, Fig- 
gis & Co., Dublin. Price, 5s 

In this Dook, the latest addition to 
the already formidable mass of modern 
Anglo-Irish literature, Mr. Gwynn has 
collected ten essays fiom various re- 
views and Journals, essays diftering 
widely in interest, but all of which 
possess a unity of subject. 

All the essays deal with Ireland, and 



combine in formulating a distinct ac- 
cusation of English civilization and 
English modes of thought. Mr. Gwsmn 
is a member of that large and progree- 
sive party which seeks to establish an 
Irish literature and Irish industries. 

The first essays in his book are lit- 
erary criticisms, and it may be said 
that they are the most interesting. 
Some are mere records of events, and 
some written to give English readers a 
general notion of what is meant by the 
Gaelic revival 

His account of the establishing of the 
fishing industry in the west of Ireland 
is extremely interesting, and so are his 
accounts of dairies, old-fashioned and 
new-fashioned, and of carpet-making. 

The volume, admirably gotten up, Is 
a credit to the Dublin firm to whose 
enterprise its publication is due. 



44 



HENRY GRATTAN," an essay 
by Alfred E. Zimmern (Ox- 
ford: B. H. Blackwell), pos- 
sesses much merit. It will impress 
many readers as the most important 
contribution to the understanding of 
the life and policy of a great Irishman 
that has appeared since Mr. Lecky's 
essay on "The Leaders of Public Opin- 
ion in Ireland," which was first pub- 
lished anonymously forty years ago. 

If Mr. Lecky then was partially re- 
sponsible for the rise in an educated 
circle of home-rule principles, it is to 
be hoped that Mr. Zimmern's essay 
will now help towards an enduring 
settlement between Great Britain and 
Ireland. 



AT a recent meeting of the Royal 
Irish Academy, Dawson Street, 
Dublin, the president, Professor 
Atkinson, announced that the transla- 
tion of the Book of Armagh, which 
had been under way for years, has at 
last been completed, the text is in 
print and the work will soon be pub- 
lished. 

He said the work was anxiously 
looked forward to by scholars all over 
the world with the greatest possible 
interest, as not only likely to furnish 
the basis of solution for many vexed 
questions, but also to add a stimulus 
for further research. 



MOIRA O'NEILL, whose Antrim 
Glen lyrics were eulogized by 
Dr. Sigerson at the National 
Literary Society recently, is one of 
those writers whose^ personally has 

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April, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



12J 



been kept considerably In the back* 
ground. Whilst her poems appearing 
in "Blackwood's Magazine" have been 
universally quoted and admired, bio^ 
graphical paragraphs have rarely been 
published about her, nor does she seem 
to appreciate publicity. 

The circle of her literary admirers, 
will he glad to know that though on 
her marriage some few years ago she 
went to reside far west in Canada, she 
has returned to reside in Ireland, let 
us hope permanently. Her maiden 
name was Nesta Higinson; she was *a 
member of an old landed family in the 
Antrim glens, and is now Mrs. Skreen. 

She is distinguished particularly for 
having brought into poetic diction the 
homely idiom of the Ulster English 
speech. This is a dialect quite apart 
firom the lowland speech of the de- 
scendants of Scotch settlers, and is far 
more true to life than the brogue talk 
of other well-known writers. In fact, 
8o far, Moira O'Neill may be said to 
be the only poet of her school. 



A COPY of a new and beautiful 
"Hymn to St. Patrick," by the 
Rev. George O'Neill, S. J., has 
been received. 

It Is tender, pathetic, prayerful, and 
at the same time reveals that spirit of 
sweet simplicity which appeals so 
strongly to one's sense of the appro- 
priate. This is the opening verse: 
•'Dear Apostle, Blessed Patrick, faith- 
ful lover of our land. 
Thou so tender in compassion, in thy 

fortitude so grand; 
See thy children gathered round thee, 

let thy heart be open wide 
To the voice of their appealing, be our 
father and our guide." 
Messrs Fallon & Co., 29 Lower 
O'Connell St., Dublin, are the pub- 
lishers. 



THE Amsterdam Book Co., 156 
Fifth Avenue, New York, have 
\ been appointed agents for the 
publishing house of David Nutt & Co., 
London. We have received from them 
a 'copy of a charming little book, "The 
Courtship of Ferb," being the first vol- 
ume of the Irish Saga Library consist- 
ing of eany Irish prose and verse 
translated into English prose and 
verse. 

"The Courtship of Ferb" is an old 
Irish romance dealing with a minor 
raid, one of several which preceded 
and led to the famous "Tain bo Cual- 
gne." The story was transcribed in 
the twelfth century into the Book of 
Leinster and has been now translated 
Into English prose and verse by Mr. 
A. H. Leahy. The volume costs in 
cloth 75 cents, in limp leather $1.50. 



U 



NESSA" is the title of a hand- 
somely bound little volume 
containing a charming story 
by Miss L. McManus. It is dedicated 
to the Gaelic League. 

The scene is laid in the time of the 
Cromwellian Settlement, when the war 
was over, and the Cromwellian troop- 
ers were still in occupation, some of 
them, indeed, awaiting their allotment 
of the lands whereof the Irishry had 



been plundered and despoiled. By 
taking the period of the "pacification" 
rather than of the war itself, the au- 
thor has adroitly avoided the too com- 
mon lines of Irish historical tales, and 
has so managed to give her little story 
a rather novel background. 

The style is simply admirable, and 
renders the book a real little literary 
pearl in its way. An unique feature of 
the book is the way in which the "at- 
mosphere" of the time, and of the 
place— the neighborhood of Loughrea 
— is suggested and preserved through- 
out. 

A serial story from the pen of Miz^s 
McManus is now running in the pages 
of "The Irish Rosary." 

MESSRS. M. H. GILL & SON, Pub- 
lishers, Dublin, have in prepar- 
ation what promises to be the 
best and most exhaustive work on 
Robert Emmet yet published. 

The author, Mr. J. J. Reynolds, of 
Dublin, is an occasional contributor to 
THE GAEL and a man in every way 
well qualified for the work he has so 
successfully accomplished. 

Before being placed in the printer's 
hands the manuscript was sent to this 
country and submitted to Dr. Thomas 
Addis Emmet, the famous and learned 
historiographer of the Emmet family, 
who approved its publication. 

The volume will be super royal oc- 
tavo, green cloth, Celtic ornamental 
border, gilt lettered title with profile 
head of Emmet and autograph on 
cover. There are more than fifty half- 
tone illustrations, several of which are 
entirely new. 

Dr. Emmet kindly gave permission 
to reproduce the choicest pictures from 
his great work which cost $30,000 to 
produce and of which only one hun- 
dred and thirty copies were printed 
when the type and plates were broken 
up. That, of course, is a very rare 
book. 

A sketch of Emmet's trial from the 
Joly collection in the National Library 
of Ireland, together with several rare 
prints which have not heretofore been 
reproduced will add much to the value 
of the work. 

Mr. Reynolds possesses a charming 
literary style and his book will be a 
decided acquisition to the subject 
which becomes, if possible,, more ab- 
sorbing with the passage of the years. 



"A" 



LL on the Irish Shore" is the 
title given to a series of Irish 
sketches by Messrs. E. A. 
Somervllle and Martin Ross, which 
Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co. will 
place before the public almost imme- 
diately. The writers are, perhaps, best 
known as the authors of "The Remin- 
iscences of an Irish R. M." The book 
is to be illustrated. 



MESSRS. LONGMANS & CO. have 
in the press a new edition, in 
two volumes, 8vo, of "The Lead- 
ers of Public Opinion in Ireland: Flood 
—Grattan— O'Connell," by the Right 
Hon. W. E. H. Lecky. This new edi- 
tion is greatly enlarged and re-written, 
and contains a new introduction. 



WE have received from Hodges, 
Figgis & Co., Dublin, "Poets 
and Dreamers, Studies and 
Translations from the Irish," by Lady 
Gregory. The volume consists of a 
series of critical essays on Irish Poets 
and ballad writers, and translations of 
specimens of their work. 

The first paper is devoted to Raftery, 
the famous Mayo itinerant poet, and 
ontains several interesting anecdotes 
relating to him. Other chapters are 
given to West Irish Ballads, Jacobite 
Ballads, ii.n Graoibhin's Poems, Boer 
Ballads in Ireland, A Sorrowful La- 
ment for Ireland, On the Edge of the 
World, etc. 

In a chapter devoted to An Graoib- 
hin's Plays, Lady Gregory says: "I 
hold that the beginning of modern 
Irish drama was in the Winter of 1898, 
at a school feast at Coole, when Dr. 
Douglas Hyde and Miss Norma Borth- 
wlck acted In Irish in a Punch and 
Judy show; and the delighted children 
went back to tell their parents what 
grand curses An Croibhin had put on 
the baby and the policeman. 

"A little time after that, when a 
play was wanted for our Literary 
Theatre, Dr. Hyde wrote, and then act- 
ed in 'The Twisting of the Rope,' the 
first Irish play ever given in a Dublin 
theatre." 

Lady Gregory also gives translations 
of some of Dr. Douglas Hyde's plays in 
Gaelic, including a Miracle play and 
a Nativity play. 

The volume is well wrlnted on Irish 
made paper. 8vo. boards, price 6 shil- 
lings. 



WHAT promises to be an excellent 
"Illustrated Scotch Gaelic Dic- 
tionary" is being published in 
parts by E. Macdonald & Co., at the 
Gaelic Press, Ardmor, Lyminge, Kent^ 
England. 

Three parts have already been is- 
sued. Part I. consists of 39 octavo 
pages — fifteen of an introduction (in 
which very full and minute rules of 
pronunciation are given, as well as a 
very complete grammar of the lan- 
guage) and twenty-four pages of the 
Dictionary, namely, from A, Ailm (the 
elm tree), down to Aitichte, pt part., 
of aitich (inhabited, settled, etc.). 

Parts II. and III. contain thirty-two 
pages each, and bring down the Dic- 
tionary to Beuc, s. m., (roar, bellow, 
yell, outcry; noise, clamor). 

It is admitted that in compiling the 
Dictionary the author has been large- 
ly indebted to "MacLeod & De war's 
Gaelic Dictionary," but the sources of 
all the important additions are care- 
fully given in the vocabulary. 

The Dictionary is carefully and well 
printed, on good hand-made paper 
made in Scotland, while the illustra- 
tions are excellent, and will be found 
a great aid. 



Gaelic Department 

Owing to unforseen circumstances 
the Gaelic Department has been de- 
layed this montlybitt will appear regu- 
larly hereafter, by V^ O O Cf IC 



J22 



THE GAEL. 



AfíI, 1903. 




Twenty-five Volumes Given for a Few Ideas« 



LAST month we offered twenty-flve 
volumes written by Irish authors, 
in exchange for any Ideas that our 
readers may send in by which this mag- 
azine may be Improved and its circula- 
tion increased. The winners will be an- 
nounced in the July GAEL. Suggestions 
may be sent in any time until the middle 
of June. Parties interested in the con- 
test are Invited to read the offer in the 
March GAEL. It will not be reprinted. 
The following are from among a large 
number received: 
Editor THE GAEL: 

Dear Sir.— Your magazine is too small 
and does not come out often enough. It 
should be published every week. The in- 
tervals between issues are too long and 
people lose interest in the Gaelic Move- 
ment and forget all about it between 
times. 

American publishers give a great deal 
for ten cents. Why not imitate them in 
that respect? My suggestion is that you 
make it a weekly publication with twice 
the present number of pages. The circu- 
lation will become doubled within a few 
months. W. H. D. 

Baltimore, Md. 



Editor THE GAEL: 

Dear iSr.— I think the name of your 
magazine. "THE GAEL," is against it. 
I don't believe that one Irishman in 
twenty knows what the word means. Ask 
a few and find out. You will discover 
that many never heard the word "Gael" 
before. Less than two years ago the 
Dublin "Gaelic Journal," In referring to 
your publication, spelled it *'Oail" What 
do you think of that? 

People do not like to buy publications 
the name of which they do not under- 
stand. Change the name to "The Celtic 
Magazine," or "The Irish Literary Month- 
ly," or "Erin's Hope," or something that 
conveys a meaning or a sentiment which 
the present name does not, and your cir- 
culation will increase. P. M. 

Youngstown, O. 



Editor THE GAEL: 

Dear Sir.— I take great interest in THE 
GAEL and offer these few weak sugges- 
tions, not in hopes of winning a prize but 
because I love the magazine and fully 
appreciate the value, from an educational 
and patriotic standpoint, of the great 
work it is performing. 

Candidly I do not know of any Irish 
magazine conducted on the same broad 
liberal lines, that is as good or anywhere 
near as good, as THE GAEL. There is 
none. The trouble is you have set your- 
self such a high standard of merit that 
It is difficult to improve on it. 

The size of THE GAEL is just right. 



Do not enlarge it. I subscribe for a num- 
ber, of periodicals, and to keep abreast of 
the times must read them. If THE GAEL 
should be enlarged most probably I will 
be unable to enjoy it. 

While keeping THE GAEL a truly Irish 
magazine be careful and continue to avoid 
taking sides with any of the political fac- 
tions which are always with us, ever 
battling with one another for supremacy. 
They all mean well. God bless them. But 
all cannot be right. 

Chicago. "SOGGARTH." 



Editor THE GAEX.: March 5th, 1903. 

Dear Sir.— In response to your request 
for suggestions that may tend to popu- 
larize THE GAEL, I beg to offer the 
following: 

Devote at least one page each month 
to A. O. H. notes and engage one mem- 
ber in each organization to take subscrip- 
tions on commission. 

Enlist the services of a good spokesman 
at their National Meeting to recommend 
it to all members, showing how it keeps 
alive the memory of the old land, etc. 

Print each month a short write-up of 
some branch of the A. O. H., giving 
names and pictures of the leading men, 
taking the precaution to announce this 
feature in advance at the place to be 
written about. 

Have THE GAEL more generally dis- 
played on newstands than at present. Its 
bright face looks beautiful among the 
other magazines. 

Have it listed with the Subscription 
Agencies which offer special inducements 
for Introduction. A magazine can be 
made popular through advertising regard- 
less of whom it may cater to. 

Send out a coin card offering a three 
month's trial subscription for twenty-five 
cents. This has been proven a success- 
ful scheme. 

Send to papers everywhere advance an- 
nouncements of forthcoming articles ask- 
ing insertion for the same. Many editors 
print such notices. One prominent Ameri- 
can magazine does this regularly» and 
gets an immense amount of free adver- 
tising. 

Send out an agent to solicit subscrip- 
tions and to appoint some one at each 
place to collect renewals. 

Print each month a page of news notes 
from as many different points as possible 
Our people are clannish and, while they 
love Ireland as a whole, yet they love 
their home place especially, and like to 
see its name in print. I consider it of the 
greatest importance that THE GAEL 
should be presented and praised to every 
Irishman by some other pleased Irishman 
who takes it regularly. 

Print plenty of pictures of Irish scenery; 



everybody likes pictures. Have an Irish 
castle or round tower on the cover, and 
have a short article each month describ- 
ing entertainingly some event In f?ysh 
history, such as the "Treaty of Limer- 
ick," "Story of Sarsfleld," "Lord Ed- 
ward's Arrest," etc. 

There is a large number of young Irish 
amateur writers who find difficulty In 
procuring recognition. Enlist their ser- 
vices by offering prizes for short storie» 
or poems, making it a condition that ont 
or two subscriptions must be sent with 
each manuscript entered for competition. 

Always remember that under modem 
conditions merit alone cannot be depend- 
ed upon for success. Many inferior ar- 
ticles and commodities supplant better 
ones through being better advertised and 
exploited. Respectfully yours, 

Augusta, Ga. P. McL. 

New York, March 7, 1903. 
Editor of THE GAEL: 

Dear Sir.— I have read in the March 
number of THE GAEL your request for 
suggestions, which might tend to the 
further circulation of the same. The 
magazine is already so excellent, so In- 
teresting, that it seemed difficult to 
think of any; nevertheless, on a further 
consideration of the subject, these few, 
wlilch I believe you might find both 
practical and beneficial, presented them- 
selves to my mind: 

I.— Have a serial— a story of the lively, 
hair-breadth-'scape order if possible. 
This would add to the paper's interest for 
country people especially, and, I believe, 
would materially increase its circulation 
in Ireland. My reason for suggesting 
this is that I remember, as a little girl, 
with what delight we used to look for- 
ward to the coming every week, to our 
Ulster farmhouse, of "Young Ireland" 
and the "Weekly News," and how In the 
meantime we used to discuss the prob- 
able events of the serial in each com- 
ing number. I remember one of these 
continued stories dealt with the fortunes 
of Shane O'Neil and another with the life 
of a modern Irish M. P., and while of 
course at this distance I cannot speak 
definitely of their literary quality, I re- 
member that their influence was alto- 
gether uplifting and enlightening. 

II.— Have poems— at least one or two — 
with a little more "blood" in them. I 
mean just the quality that is wanting In 
the verses of Yeats and Hopper and the 
rest of the quasl-Gaels. Very often pa- 
triotic poetry is not of a high literary 
order, but for my own part. I can see a 
more redeeming quality of true Celticism 
even in the poems of a man like Michael 
Hogan, the "Bard of Thomond," than I 



April, Í903. 



can And in the verses of the more re- 
fined Anglo-Celts— thougrh this, of course, 
may be a defect in myself. 

III.— Be more modern. Ireland did not 
die in '98 or '48. Have a little more of 
living: issues. There is or was at least, 
a few weeks ago, right here in New 
York, a quite ordinary-looking Ulster 
Irishman (Joseph Devlin)) who is waging 
as heroic a fight for his country, just 
now, as Wolfe Tone, or Brian Boru, for 
that matter, ever attempted. Surely a 
portrait of such a man deserves a little 
space. Or would a notice of his work 
be out of place? Perhaps you would 
say "yes"— in a literary monthly. Yet, if 
you aim to make THE7 QAEL more than 
that, if you aim to increase its circula- 
tion, and make it a factor in the larger 
life of our race, I do not see that more 
practical advice than this could be of- 
fered. 

In anything Irish, there cannot be half- 
measures. A decided line is always 
necessary. See the example of the New 
York "Dally News!" It had always been 
Irish and Democratio Munsey bought it. 
and with a great self-tooting, turned it 
Into a sort of quasi-magazine without 
any line in creed or politics. Before, I 
think, six months, he had demonstrated 
he had made a mistake. Therefore, I 
would say, publish the portraits of Ire- 
land's distinguished men— publish the por- 
traits of other noted people, too, for 
nowadays people like to 'see the people 
they read about. Also whenever a tell- 
ing cartoon on Irish matters appears, 1 
think it would be good policy to repro- 
ruce it. 

IV.— Let you magazine be better known. 
See that it receives notices in every pub- 
lication possible. Get it noticed in the 
Irish newspapers; have advertisements 
placed on the New York newstands, with 
copies conspicuously displayed for sale. 

Nowv there are my suggestions. When 
I look over them, it seems to me as if 
they might sound impertinent; but that 
in truth they are not, being merely given 
sincerely, if crudely in the intervals of 
office-work. With best wishes for the 
future of. THE GAEL. I remain. 

Very truly yours, 

New York. (Miss) E. R. C. 



MESSRS. DUCKWORTH announce 
that they have ready for imme- 
diate publication an historical 
novel on the Irish Rebellion of '98, 
which gives a most vivid picture of the 
struggle between Catholic and Protest- 
ant Ireland under Lord Castlereagh's 
rule. 

The title, "Croppies Lie Down," has 
been taken by the author, Mr. William 
Buckley, from the famous Protestant 
Bong of the period, but it is, of course, 
possible to use a title in an ironical 
sense. 



THE GAEL. 
Gielic Figfures* 

As is well-known, fishing boats 
must have their numbers mark- 
ed on them in plain figures. 
Donald McTavish had had his boat 
newly tarred, and went to sea omit- 
ting to replace the number on it. The 
first day he put to sea H. M. S. Scor- 
pion hove in sight, her course taking 
her near Donald's boat "Boat ahoy!" 
came from the former's deck. "Where 
is your number?" "On the other side," 
bawled Donald. 

Off went the Scorpion, making a cir- 
cuit round the boat to verify the truth 
of this statement Throwing down the 
nets on which he was working Donald 
went beiow, and soon reappeared with 
a piece of chalk. Then leaning well 
over the side, he soon had the number 
down in large white figures. "That's 
hoo to cheat them," he remarked to his 
mate. But, alas! neithei of them had 
considered the fact that, as the figures 
as seen by them were in their correct 
position, they must appear to the oth- 
ers upside down. 

"Can't make out that number," came 
from the Scorpion. Donald saw his 
mistake, but sang out— ..No wonder, 
sir, it's in the Gaelic." There was si- 
lence on the gunboat for a minute, fol- 
lowed by a hearty burst of laughter, 
and the good-natured command to go 
home and have the Gaelic figures 
translated into English. — Scottish 
AmeiHoan. 




The ''Oil Discover/' In 
Dublin. 

THE editor of "Petroleum" states 
that an examination of a sam- 
ple of oil taken from the nat- 
ural petroleum spring at Summerhill, 
Dublin, shows that it has scarcely any 
oily odor— that, in fact, any oil there 
may be in the liquid is not mixed with 
it, but really fioats as a thin film on 
the surface. 

Reports from Dublin state that the 
production of the spring five weeks 
ago bore larger traces of oil, and that 
the sample received in London, and 
now in the hands of Dr. Redwood, is 
not one of the best secured. 

The idea that the entire business is 
a "fake" is not credited in London, 
but no definite opinion is likely to be 
formed until some drilling work has 
been done, and there has been a thor- 
ough investigation of the conditions 
under which oil is stored in neighbor- 
ing premises. 



123 
Celtic Mythology. 

WE have received from Messrs. 
O'Donohue & Co., Publishers, 
Dublin, an advance copy of Mr. 
Richard Irvine Best's translation of 
Professor D'Arbois de Jubainville's 
celebrated work on "The Irish Mytho- 
logical Cycle and Celtic Mythology." 

The need of a comprehensive hand- 
book on Celtic Mythology has long 
been felt by students of Irish litera- 
ture and by the ever-increasing num- 
ber of persons who are becoming in- 
terested in the ancient legends and 
traditions of their country. 

The above mentioned translation of 
M. D'Arbois de Jubainville's great 
work has been undertaken in order to 
supply this need. The original has 
for many years been the standard 
work on the subject. The author, who 
fills the Chair of Celtic at the College 
of France, is one of the most distin- 
guished of Celtic scholars, and by his 
numerous and learned publications 
has done much for the advancement 
of Celtic studies. 

The work gives a clear and connect- 
ed account of the early colonizations 
of Ireland, and of the heroes that took 
part in them, until after tne defeat of 
the Tuatha de Danaan by the Miles- 
ians. The principal gods of the divine 
race of the Tuatha de Danaan are de- 
scribed at length. Throughout the book 
parallels are drawn between the Irish 
legends and those of other countries; 
citation and references are given for 
every statement advanced, and this 
constitutes not the least of its merits 
as the leading work on the subject 

The book is printed on Irish paper, 
post 8vo., cloth, price 6s. 

Deiiviri mombly Iriib Cibrary. 

mSTOKY, BIOORAPBY, POBTSY. ftc. OABLIC PAOB. 

Each number contalnB a complete book by a 
X>opalar writer. 

BOOK OP TAB MONTH POB MARCH: 

•' The Rescue of tbs Military Fenians '' 
ChMiy fraa Ifct ■amilvc tf Jebi Brcslta. 

Free by post 60o. per Year. 

Now Ready— The Tolnme for 190S, in artistic 

cover, free by post, SOc.: in cloth, 60c. 

American or Canadian Stamps Taken. 

JOHN DENVIR, 61 Fleet Street, LONDON. 



Don*t fan to prooare Mas. WiicsLOWt SooTHnra 
Strvp for your Ooltdrea wlille cuttlog teetli. It 
poothei the ehlld, tofteni the cams allays all pala, 
ires wiDd oollo, and is tlie best remedy for 
dtarrbflss. 



)24 



THE GAEL. 



April» 1903. 





NOTES FROM IRELAND. 

By^Our Special Cot responcf cuts» 



THE enterprlFe of the Central 
Branch of the Gaelic League In 
getting up a series of dramatic 
sketches lasting over three nights deserv- 
ed all the success which attended it. On 
two of the three nights they had packed 
houses, and throughout the enthusiasm 
was simply Intense. Dr. Hyde, as the 
blind fiddler in his own drama, was inim- 
itable, and the proud defiant bearing of 
Cathal MacGarvey in the character of 
Hugh O'Neill seemed for the time to im- 
bue his audience with the martial spirit 
of the dauntless chieftains of the North. 
But then Cathal grew up to manhood in 
historic Rathmullen— became an adept in 
the use of the caman and kindred weap- 
ons under the capable training of Mich- 
ael Cusack in the early days of the G. 
A. A.— and, in addition to being among 
the sweetest of our traditional singers, is 
perhaps the foremost Irish elocutionist 
of the present day. The excellence of his 
acting therefore surprised those only who 
had not already known him. 

No man has placed the revival move- 
ment under deeper social obligations than 
has Mr. MacGarvey. Scarcely does a 
night go by on which he has not to appear 
at some Gaelic Lea^rue or Charity func- 
tion. It is by no means an uncommon 
thing to hear him recite at places as far 
apart as Dublin and Kingstown on the 
same night, and— all at his own personal 
expense. Thus has the language move- 
ment been built up, though one would, 
of course, prefer that its exigencies en- 
tailed less exacting demands on individ- 
uals. The Gaelic Leaguers of Dublin 
have Just decided to mark their apprecia- 
tion of Cathal' s unselfish serv^ices in a 
fitting way. 

* * * 

The funeral of Gavan Duffy was un- 
commonly impressive and in spite of its 
spontaneous character, very representa^ 
tive. The deportment of the great bulk 
of the spectators disclosed an absence of 
deep sympathy that could not be attribu- 
table to the modification of National sen- 
timent which half a century might bring 
about. Duffy's strictures on Mitchel and 
others, coming when they did, were not 
merely regrettable, they were uncharit- 
able, and must have prejudiced many. 
Clearly the younger generation of Irish- 
men respect his memory for what he 
dared. Beyond that his aspirations and 
theirs would have little in common. 

• * * 

The recent articles in the "Southern 
Cross" of Buenos Aires from the pen. of 
its genial, editor, Mr. William Bulfin, 
have attracted considerable notice in Ire- 
land. Mr. Bulfin, as is well known, has 
recently been on a visit to his native 



land, and judging by his impressions, as 
recorded in his own paper and elsewhere, 
he seems to have felt the pulse of the 
Irish revival very effectually. It is not 
too much to say that no journalist of 
our time has evidenced such a true and 
characteristic sympathy with the aspira- 
tions of the Ireland of to-day, and yet- 
poor Ireland seems to have no appro- 
priate place for such a spirit. It is a sad 
reflection. Mr. Bulfin made hosts of 
friends during his brief stay in. Dublin, 
where his charming personality was 
scarcely less admired than envied. His 
leave-taking was almost pathetic. Those 
who saw him off say that the gentlemen 
who display such a watchful inter^t In 
the movements of Dr. Mark Ryan be- 
times paid him also the distinction of 
escorting^ him to the boat. Such is the 
revival! 

• • • 

Mr. P. A. Pearse, who has just been 
appointed editor of "An Claidheam 
Soluls." undertakes a much more critical 
task than is generally realized. Hitherto 
the standard of the official organ has not 
even approached the ideal of the earnest 
Gaelic Leagues. To its defects many 
things contributed, and nobody knowing 
the difficulties that had to be encount- 
ered in the very rapid development of 
the organization would adjudge it too 
harshly. In future, however, with the 
gradual systematizing^ of arrangements 
at headquarters, the extended connec- 
tion. Increased influence, and riper ex- 
perience, a better and higher tone may 
reasonably be looked for. 

• « • 
Henceforward Gaelic Leaguers will be 

mainly concerned with the preparations 
for the Representative Congress and 
Oireachtas to be held in May. Before 
these notes appear the excitement over 
the National Holiday and Annual Proces- 
sion will have subsided, arid the net re- 
sult will be approximately known. 

• • * 

The great Feis announced for the end 
of June In Klllarney promises to be emi- 
nently successful. It will occupy a whole 
week, and among its features will be an 
effort to revive the Bardic Sessions, a 
conference of the foremost living Irisfi 
wj-lters, and a pilgrimage to the grave of 
the famous Kerry poet, Eoghan Ruadh 
O'Sullivan. The KJllamey Festival is 
calculated to do more for the living 
speech in Kerry than all the work hith- 
erto done under the direction of the 
League. It is too much to hope that this 
announcement may catch the eyes of 
such American Gaels as Messrs. O'Daly, 
O'Reilly and Ferrlter, and Induce them 
to pay a brief visit to the old sod wiilch 



has too long been abandoned to the 
tripper. 

What the League in Klllarney owtes to 
Fr. Brennan and his earnest lieutenant* 
is well-nigh incalculable. Amons the 
most earnest of these earnest lieutenants 
is Mr. Diarmuid O'Sullivan. Diarmuld's 
school days were passed on the island of 
Valentia. It is noteworthy that some of 
the best workers in the Langrueige Move- 
ment have been recruited from the isl- 
ands off the coast. Tomas O'Conconnon, 
for Instance— the well-known organizer- 
halls from the far-famed island of Aran, 
.and Mr. James J. Ward, the equally pop- 
ular organizer, comes all the way from- 
distant Tory. 



Dublin, March 12, 1908. 
Editor THE GAEL: 

I dare say you have been expecting a 
line from Dublin but there really is noth- 
ing going on here that would be likely to 
Interest American Gaels. 

There is some excitement and fuss 
about Irish Language Week and Annual 
Procession, which are practically upon 
ub, ankii an agitation for a National hol- 
iday, but that is about all. 

The League "organ," An Claidheam 
Soluls, has been running the organiza- 
tion to ruin for the past twelve months 
or more. First there was a protracted 
controversy with the Aran clergy, then 
a wanton attack on Dr. Atkinson, T. C. 
D.. for which the League had to public- 
ly apologize, and to-night there is a 
special Executive meeting to consider a 
rash ignorant and reckless atta<^ on the 
Catholic Hierarchy. ^^ 

Father Dlnneen and others have pub- 
licly repudiated the article. 

Because of all this and more a new 
editor was appointed and has been in of- 
fice a week, but, apparently, he is no 
better than the old. 

Dr. O'Hlckey had a candidate up for 
the vacant editorship, but m spite of the 
most vigorous canvas he was able to se- 
cure only three votes as against nineteen 
for the successful candidate (Pearse). 
When Dr. O'Hlckey -found his influence 
had vanished, he became almost crajsy, 
and it is believed he will resign at the 
first opportunity. 

MacNclll, who has been a most un- 
scrupulous wire-puller, has also lost the 
confidence of all sincere Gaelic Leaguers, 
both in Ireland and in England. 

Judging from present appearances there 
Is a very stormy time ahead of the 
League here. Whatever strictures may 
or may not have been considered neces- 
sary in America, there is no likelihood 
of either Fr. iorke or Dr. Henebry being 
invited to Ireland in the present crisis. 
Things will be bad enough without hav- 
ing them made desperate by the pres- 
ence of such formidable factionists. We 
understand here that the Gaelic League 
in America as an organization is prac- 
tically dead, and the death la|laid at the 
door of the factionls^^ - — ■ 



30gfcBLANA. 



April, J903. 



THE GAEL, 



)25 




Epic Material in Old Irish Literature* 




By Michael Lynch* 



RUE epic literature has never been 
;' produced by educated writers like Virgil, 
1 asso, or Milton, in polished and culti- 
vated ages. Rather like Homer, or the 
unknown author of the "Song of Roland," 
or 'The Nibelungenlied" has it been the 
work of men who believed in the more than 
mortal strength and valor of theii» heroes, and, that 
the fortunes of these heroes were watched over by 
the immortals who scrupled not to personally assist 
or oppose them. It is, probably, now too late for the 
production of an Irish epic, but time was, and that 
not so long ago, when the thing was possible, for the 
subject matter was always ready at hand. 

Such a subject was the groat struggle culpiinating 
In the Battle of Clontarf. Indeed, old Mac Liag in his 
"War of the Gaedhill with the Gaill" had early dis- 
covered that fact, and though denied the gift of song, 
came very near producing a great epic in prose. I 
remember of having seen a curious attempt to do this 
with Dr. James Henthom Todd's translation of that 
work. The person attempting it added nothing. He 
simply left out, sometimes, whole pages of whatever 
was not essential to the swift telling of the story. 
He reduced the vast redundancy of epithets, only pat- 
ting in, here and there, a connecting word. But the 
gathering of the storm that preceded the battle, and 
the great battle-scene itself he left untouched. Not 
one-third of the whole work was used, but the result 
was almost as perfect a thing as literature has to 
show. Had it been possible to have produced any- 
thing so meritorious out of an English work of equal 
antiquity it would now have been famous. But, 
though the paper that printed it was devoted to Irish 
interests, and its editor was a very well-known liter- 
ary man of Irish birth, it was hidden away on an 
inner page and published without one word of com- 
ment It fell, as the saying is, still-born from the 
press. The Gaelic revival was not yet in being. The 



thing was merely Irish, and "Can there come any- 
thing good out of Nazareth?" 

Old Irish literature is, indeed, filled as no other Is, 
with everything necessary to the making of epi« 
poems. Men scarcely yet past the prime of manhood 
can remember, how during the *ong stormy nights m 
Winter by a blazing turf fire in Ireland the old 
seamhaidhe poured forth an inexhaustible volume of 
stories about Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Feinne to 
the great delight of his hearers. That was a God- 
given education for a young man of poetical gifts, but, 
alas! the seed fell on barren soil and nothing grew 
therefrom. 

When we consider what Keats did, who, ignorant 
of Greek, dependent on Jacob Bryant's dusty old 
classical dictionary, and dying at twenty-four, yet left 
behind his splendid fragment of Hyperion it is mad- 
dening to think that the genius never came at the 
same time with the opportunity to produce a like 
work to be the everlasting glory of Ireland and of 
Irish literature. 

Yet whatever might have been the case in later 
times, there was, surely, no lack of genius in the men 
who produced the earlier literature of Ireland. The 
fullest, the fairest flowers of that literature are un- 
questionably the "Three Sorrowful Tales of Irish 
Story Telling." But they are only a little sweeter, a 
little more perfect than the rest. Search the begin- 
nings of literature in any land and where may be 
found fuller and more perfect material for epic poetry 
in what are called the three great cycles of Irish 
imaginative literature; that oldest which circles 
around Lugh of the Long Arms, that which having for 
its centre Conor Mac Nessa has for its heroes Cuchul- 
lain, Conall Cearnach, Fergus Mac Rolgh, with many 
another figure nearly as great; and that where Fionn 
Mac Cumhaill towering above the swirl of combat 
looks down upon Oscar. Oisin, Diarmald O'Duibhne, 
caoilte the fleet-footed, and Goli Mac Maivne. 



uoii Mac Atoivne. t 

Digitized by VjOOQIC 



128 



THE GAEL. 



April, J903, 



The Gael 



EirtBred at Mow York Port Oflk» at Second-dm Matter. 

Postage free to any point in the United States^ 

Mexico or Canada, 



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Death of the Duke of Teutam 

GENERAL Don Carlos Abrue Joris 
Rodiguez de Abrua O'Donnell, 
second Duke of Tetuan, Count 
of Lucena, of Aliaga and first Marquis 
of Altimiza, of the ancient royal stock 
of the kings of Ireland, and of the 
O'Donnells, kings of Tyroonnell, who 
died in Spain on the 9th of February, 
1903, after a severe illness of a few 
weeks' duration, was the grandest, 
greatest and most experienced states- 
man of Spain. 

His career was in many ways unique. 
Born at Valencia, in Spain, in 1834, he 
was therefore in his sixty-ninth year. 
He entered the Spanish army, and 
spent the larger part of his early man- 
hood in the Philippines, where the 
town of O'Donnell is named in honor 
of his family. Returning to Spain, he 
held several staff appointments, and in 
1859 he was sent to Italy to study the 
war then in progress. 

He fought in the war against Mor- 
occo (1869-61), and especially distin* 
guished himself at the storming of the 
Cato Negron Pass, which earned for 
him the San Fernando Order with the 
title of Don. He was created first mar- 
quis of Altimiza, and afterward suc- 
ceeded to the titles and estates of his 
uncle. Marshal Don Leopold O'Donnell, 
first Duke of Tetuan, Count of Lucena 
and Viscount of Aliaga, formerly Pre- 
mier of Spain, who died in 1867. 

He took part in the capture of Te- 



tuan, and was severely wounded in 
the battle of Sacusa. After the revolu- 
tion of 1869-1874 he retired from the 
army with the rank of general, and en- 
tered politics. After trying ineftectual- 
ly to support the throne of Aladeo, 
King of Spain, he rallied to the side of 
Alfonso XIL, King of Spain. The new 
regime sent him as Spanish Ambas- 
sador, first to Brussels, then to Vienna, 
and subsequently to Lisbon. In 1879 
he entered the Martinez Campos Cabi- 
net as Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
which position he held almost continu- 
ally until after the Spanish-American 
war of 1898. 

He was Spanish Delegate, senior rep- 
resentative of Spain, and also the most 
conspicuous and interesting figure at 
The Hague Peace Conference, where as 
soldier, politician and diplomatist he 
brought a wide range of special knowl- 
edge to the deliberations. 

He married Dona Maria Vargas and 
had by her three sons: Don Carlos 
O'Donnell, the new Duke, born in 1863; 
Don Juan O'Donnell, born in 1864; Don 
Leopold O'Donnell, born in 1874, and 
also four daughters: Mercedes O'Don- 
nell, Maria O'Donnell, Victoria O'Don- 
nell and Josefa O'Donnell. 

He was the son of en. Don Carlos 
O'Donnell, a General of Cavalry and 
Chief of Carlist Body Guards, born in 
1802 and killed in action at the Battle 
of Echanzi in 1835, aged thirty-three 
years; eldest son of His Excellency 
Gen. Don Carlos O'Donnell, Captain- 
General of Castile and of the Canary 
Islands; born in 1772, died 1830; one 
of the four O'Donnells, brothers, who 
figured conspicuously during the Span- 
ish Peninsular War, and were the first 
in Europe to offer successful resistance 
to Napoleon, Emperor of France, and 
which eventually caused the defeat of 
the Napoleonic schemes. 

They were the sons of Gen. Don Jose 
O'Donnell, the first of their line to set- 
tle in Spain, and who was seventh in 
descent from Calvagh More O'Donnell, 
King of Tjrrconnell, uncle of the fa- 
mous Hugh Roe Oge O'Donnell, King 
of Ireland and Tyrconnell, the friend 
and ally of the great Hugh O'Neil in 
the Nine Years' War, 1593 to 1602. 

Ever since the disastrous day of Kin- 
sale, in 1602, when Hugh Roe Oge 
O'Donnell and Hugh O'Neil were de- 
feated in battle, the Milesian Irish 
have cherished the belief that an 
O'Donnell having on his shoulder a red 
mark (Ball-dearg) would return to Ire- 
land and free them from the English 
yoke, in a great battle near Limerick. 



Very many of the O'Donnells of the 
Royal and Regal family of the O'Don- 
nells of Tyrconnell (Donegal) had a 
curious red blood mark, of Ball-dearg» 
beneath the skin, usually on the side, 
and we know many of the O'Donnells 
have borne, even to the present time, 
this unmistakable red mark of the 
great and ancient Tyrconnell line; and 
the old rhyme prophecies of Ireland, 
foretold of an O'Donnell with the red 
mark, or Ball-dearg, on his shoulder, 
who was to be a proud and mighty 
champion of the Irish race, who would 
return to Ireland, gain a great battle 
near Limerick, free the Irish forever 
from English rule and reign for years 
as absolute King of Ireland. 

The Irish naturally cherished a gen- 
erous memory of the O'Donnells, and 
the popular belief that they were al- 
luded to in the prophecies contributed 
to make the great mass and also some 
of the ablest of the Irish people to look 
anxiously to their return to Ireland. 
And even still they are not forgotten, 
for there are a large number of the 
Irish who fondly cling to the illusion 
that the exiled O'Donnells of Tyrcon- 
nell may one day be placed by circum- 
stances in a position to renew the stem 
struggle for their faith and lands, in 
which a cruel fate had declared against 
their forefathers. 



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Ad 
Irregular 




BRNARD RIORDAN 
was the untidlest mor- 
tal In the parish of 
B a 1 1 i n a c o ppal. Of 
course, people excused 
him, if they were very 
soft-hearted, on the 
plea that he'd grown 
up by himself in that 
"dlBolit ould house of his/' and had 
never a woman to put in a stitch for 
him nor to see that he went out tidy 
even on a Sunday. Bernard's mother 
had died when he was a child. 

It was a pity he should be such a 
scarecrow, the neighbors were agreed, 
seeing that he was a fine, straight, 
clean limbed fellow, the very cut of an 
athlete. Indeed, it was only in his 
football jersey he showed to advan- 
tage. He wasn't dirty, because he was 
a great swimmer, and, careless as he 
was, he would run a razor over his 
face once a week at least. But the 
forlorn clothes of him! His curls 
peeped through a hole in his caubeen; 
when he lifted his arms you could see 
the rents and holes in his garments. 
His stockings had hardly more than 
legs to them. In fact, he was barely 
decent, so ragged was he. 

His farm showed the same ragged- 
O688 of aspect as himself. Hedges were 
nnellpped, gates swung loose on their 
hinges, thistles and ragweeds grew 
where they oughtn't; his very bits of 
cattle had staring coats; his oats grew 
more in patches than his neighbors'. 




Transaction. 



By Kathaiine Tyoan. 



It wasn't as If the man drank, said 
the neighbors who sat in judgment up- 
on him. Bernard had no vices. He was 
a merry, gentle, laughing philosopher. 
He liked to take his ease and dream 
his dreams while he sucked at the lit- 
tle black pipe. What though he grew 
poorer and poorer every year! It 
would last his time, he said, and there 
was no one to come after him. There 
were fearsome stories told of the con- 
dition of his house. Few penetrated 
it; it was only a sort of roof for Ber- 
nard of nights. He carried the key in 
his pocket ail day; he was essentially 
a lover of the fields and the open air. 

One person had remonstrated grave- 
ly with him on his reckless ways. This 
was Mr. Morris, the travelling organ- 
izer of the Board of Agriculture, who 
explained agricultural banks and the 
desirability of new seeds and imple- 
ments, new stock and new ways, to 



the conservative people. He had rent- 
ed them out of their conservatism, too, 
for they were quick witted and could 
see an advantage when it was set be- 
fore their eyes. 

Mr. Morris had taken an odd fancy 
to Bernard Riordan. As a matter of 
fact, they were kindred spirits. Both 
were dreamers of dreams» seers of vis- 
ions. Only, as it happened, some tricky 
fairy at Mr. Morris' christening had 
dropped a little measure of practical 
wisdom into the child's cup. So it was 
that the Board found his services in- 
valuable. He won the people's confi- 
dence by having so much in common 
with them, and when he had won it he 
appealed to the little kernel of common 
sense that lay wrapped away amid 
their impracticable ways. 

He had remonstrated with Bernard, 
telling him what could be made of the 
farm. Bernard had invited him to a 
seat on the grassy bank which he him- 
self occupied. 

"Sit down here, sir," he said, "and 
let us talk of ghosts and fairies. It'll 
last my time." 

"Why shouldn't you marry?" asked 
the organizer, "and have a son to leave 
the farm to?" 

"I'm -no more made that way than 
yourself," said Bernard, with a sly 
look at him. "I like women, but not 
to marry them." 

The organizer blushed. As a mat^ 
ter of fact, he hack disconcerted all his 
Digitized by - 



130 



THE GAEU 



May, 1903^ 



friends by taking a wife to himself in 
the most unexpected way, and when he 
was at home he was as much interest- 
ed in the details of a baby's upbringing 
as he was even in agricultural banks. 
"Very well," he said, resignedly. 
"Let us talk of ghosts and fairies." 

And talk they did till dusk fell on 
the fields, and a young moon wheeled 
up in the southeastern sky, and it was 
time for Bernard to go back to his 
dark house and the squalid discomfort 
in which he yet was able to dream his 
dreams and be merry. 

So he would doubtless have gone on 
to the end^ or died before he ought 
from a neglected cold or some such 
thing, if Susy Whelan hadn't risen on 
his horizon, beautiful as the morning 
star. As a matter of fact, the girl had 
come to live with her uncle, Myles 
Whelan, and his wife, who had the vil- 
lage shop. 

Bernard saw her first at mass one 
morning, and his eyes happening to 
rest on her by accident^ he received 
such a shock that he felt as though his 
very rags must have quivered in the 
sight of all the folk about him. 

He put his face down in his hands 
after that. His visions included saints 
and angels, and even higher persons as 
well as ghosts and fairies, and he had 
a great capacity for reverence. But, 
try as he would, he could not con- 
centrate his thoughts on his prayers 
after that momentary glimpse. 

When mass was over^ he hastened 
out of the church and back along the 
road to his own house, not waiting for 
any of those long, leisurely chats on 
the road home which were his delight. 
He was afraid that Myles Whelan 
might overtake him and slap him on 
the back, as he was used to, and that 
the eyes which he had not seen, but 
conjectured, in Susy's pure, fastidious 
face might roam over his own person 
with a surprised and disgusted air. 

Till he was in his wretched kitchen 
he had no leisure to think. Then, be- 
fore setting the potatoes among the 
ashes to roast and the teapot beside 
him, he sat down and stared at his 
muddy boots despondently. He really 
did not see them. He was contemplat- 
ing the spotless little person with the 
fair hair like satin waving back under 
the neat little black bonnet, with the 
clean, fresh gown of lavender print, a 
bunch of pansies in the bosom of it, 
the gloves, the pretty lace tie— all the 
little daintiness which made Susy 
something quite different from other 
maidens of her class. 

He had taken in Susy's appearance 
with an extraordinary eye for its de- 
tail. Fortunately, he had been in a 
dim corner, and her gaze, even if it 
had not been fixed religiously on the 
altar, would hardly have discovered 
him. At the thought that she might 
have, his forehead broke out in a cold 
sweat. For the first time his dreams 
and illusions had deserted him; for the 
first time he saw himself in rags and 
squalor, living like the beast. It was 
extraordinary how the sight of the 
satin-cheeked, silk-headed girl had 
broken his old world to pieces. 
For a time he contemplated the toes 



of his boots. Then he drew himself 
suddenly alert. A look ot fixed de- 
termination came into his face, and 
one might have seen of a sudden that 
the face was made for action, by what- 
ever accident inertness had taken it 
for its own. He had bathed and wash- 
ed his face that morning and had 
shaved, so that its well cut outline was 
unimpeded by a week's growth of 
beard. His dark blue eyes, his whole- 
some, ruddy complexion, his slightly 
curling dark hair, belonged to a hand- 
some fellow. The fact was borne in on 
him even though the bit of looking- 
glass which he at last unearthed was 
by no means a fiatterer. If he were 
like other men — he had been wont to 
pride himself on not being like other 
men — he would have a chance with 
Susy. 

He spoke something out aloud as he 
stood up, with a motion of his arms 
and body as though he would shed the 
old rags, something that was in the 
nature of an oath that he would be an- 
other man than he had been, in order 
to win Susy Whelan. 

It was Sunday, a day he usually 
spent in the fields, sucking his black 
pipe and contemplating the works of 
God in a spirit not so unlike that of 
the hermits of old. This Sunday— won- 
der of wonders! — after he had eaten 
his wretched meal, he began to tidy 
up. In the kitchen there was the ac- 
cumulation of years of rubbish— a per- 
fect mountain of it He began to clear 
it away with feverish energy, turning 
the contents almost bodily out into the 
yard. When he had the place compara- 
tively clear he looked around him. 

*'It would be a deal better for a coat 
0' whitewash," he said; "an, sure, soap 
an' water hasn't been t)n it these 
twenty years." 

Suddenly he fiung up his hat with a 
boyish shout "Mary Maclean," he 
said. "I never thought o' Mary Mac- 
lean, yet she's the very woman for 
me." 

Mrs. Maclean was a somewhat dour 
widow who had married a north of 
Ireland man and spent her married 
life in Ulster. After she had been 
widowed she returned to her native 
place with "notions" about thrift and 
cleanliness which made her generally 
unpopular in Ballinacoppal. She was 
a kinswoman of Bernard Riordan, and 
had an odd liking for him despite his 
ways, which she abhorred. She would 
defend him, indeed, against herself, 
saying that he wasn't any worse 
than others that had less reason, and 
so on. 

The day after that fateful Sunday 
Bernard interviewed Mrs. Maclean in 
her spotless cottage, which he had 
been used to feel a cold kind ot habi- 
tation. Now it was himself that was 
the blot on the white fioor, against the 
white walls, with the little bright win- 
dows full ot musk and fuchsias and 
vinegar plants, gay with pictures of 
saints and patriots. 

"I don't know what you're doin* it 
for," said Mary Maclean, austerely — 
she would have scorned to ask — "but I 
know it's time for it to be done, and 
I'm the woman to help you." 



Bernard's farm was a lonely spot un- 
der the mountains, little visited. Day 
after day Mrs. Maclean trudged there 
in the early hours of the morning, re- 
turning late at night She was a si- 
lent person and little likely to satisfy 
people's curiosity about her business, 
if anybody had manifested it But, as 
a matter of fact, she came and went 
practically unnoticed. 

If it had got out in Ballinacoppal 
that Bernard Riordan was buyius 
soap and soda and scrubbing brushes 
at Uie shop, curiosity would have been 
all agog. But Mary managed that for 
him. The opinion of Ballinacoppal 
was that Mary would scrub the house 
from under her and the face off herself 
one of these days, so any eccentricities 
on her part were safe to pass un- 
noticed. 

In fact, the real tranformation of 
the place had been accomplished before 
one day, an urchin rushed into the 
forge at the cross-roads just outside 
Ballinacoppal village with the news 
that Barney Riordan was mending his 
gates; that his house was new white- 
washed and bits o' curtains at the win- 
dows, the yard cleaned up, and a hape 
0' rubbidge as big as Slievemore over 
there was burnin' itself away at a safe 
distance from the house. 

"The man's goin' to be married," 
said the serious wag of the company. 

"He's in all his ould rags an' tatters, 
just the same as ever," said the ur- 
chin. 

"I thought there was somethln' up 
wid him," said the smith. "He does 
be terrible unsociable this while 
back." 

"When Barney Riordan is gettin' 
tidy," said another, "it must be the 
change before death is on him." 

At this very moment Mary Maclean 
was drawing the hood of her cloak 
over her white cap in Bernard Rior- 
dan's kitchen, preparatory to going 
home. Her eye roamed about it In jus- 
tifiable pride. No one could have re- 
cognized it for the same place. It was 
whitewashed, the fioor of red tiles was 
ochred over, the grate had been pol- 
ished up, the windows shone. It was 
not ill-furnished either. The rubbish 
had yielded up some unexpected trea- 
sures. It was the same all over the 
house. The good furniture in which 
Barney's mother had taken pride had 
emerged unharmed from its disg^uise 
of dirt. The place had become a quite 
presentable farmhouse. 

"I'm obliged to you, Mary," said 
Bernard, with awkward gratitude. 

"You came to the right woman." re- 
plied Mrs. Maclean. "I didn't forget 
the good turn your mother did me long 
ago, and I could put elbow grease into 
the work not like these women in Bal- 
linacoppal. And now, Barney Rior- 
dan"— she fixed a compelling eye upon 
him— "the least you can do is to tell 
me who is the girl." 

Bernard stammered, tried hard to 
deny, finally yielded to the compelling 
eye and confessed. 

As his confession came out Mary 
Maclean's jaws dropped. 

"Why, you misfortunate fellow," she 
said, "don't you know that her match 



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is to be made to-morrow night with 
old Tom Dempsey of the Orange?" 

For the one and only time in his life 
Bernard's face lost its ruddy tints; 
then they returned, dark and threat- 
ening. 

"I'll fight Tom Dempsey," he said, 
"ere ever he laid a hand on her. I will 

so help me !" 

"What nonsense have you?" said the 
widow rather scandalized. A passion 
like this was beyond her comprehen- 
sion and experience. "Sure, you only 
seen the little girl once." 

"I'll fight him before ever he gets 
her," repeated Bernard, with a glow- 
ering eye. 

"Sure, why wouldn't you get her 
yourself?" asked the widow, suddenly 
hopeful. "You're young and hand- 
some. Not that a girl of sense 'ud be 
mindln' that But the farm's not bad 
if it's worked properly. If you'd a 
clane shirt an' a new shuit o' clothes 
— I seen a beautiful shuit hangin' in 
Molony's shop the last day I was in 
Kllcashel — 't would make another man 
of you." 

Bernard's face lightened and dark- 
ened. 

"It 'ud cost money," he said, "an* I 
haven't a shillin' in the stockin', an' 
where to borry I don't know. Sure, 
every one's poor at this time before 
the harvest." 

*'The time's short," said the widow; 
••stiU"— She thought a minute. "I 
have it!" she said, exultantly. "Borry 
it of the bank. It meets to-night." 
"The bank? *Tis for givin' money 
t for seeds an' ploughs an' the like. Mr. 
Morris wanted me to borry to stock 
the land; but I said it 'ud do my time. 
They don't lend money to buy 
clothes." 

"They might if 'twas put to them. 
If I was you I'd clane my face an' 
streel up to the town an' ask them. If 
you got the money to-morrow mornin' 
you could get the shuit in Kilcashel 
an' spoil ould Dempsey's match before 
the day was over." 

Barney attended the meeting of the 
Ballinacoppal Agricultural Bank and 
made hts application. At first it was 
looked upon with disfavor by the 
Board of small farmers; but Barney, 
grown crafty through love, discovered 
the plea that moved them. 

"The girl has a tidy bit of her own," 
he said. "It'll stock the land for me. 
She wouldn't look at me if she saw me 
in my rags. She'll take me in the new 
clothes." 

The "bit" prevailed where more sen- 
timental reasons would have failed. 
Bernard Rlordan was voted a loan of 
£4 for clothes and accessories, and 
went home full of trembling hope. 

He was standing outside the door of 
Molony's shop in Kilcashel as soon as 
the shutters were taken down the next 
morning. He was back in his own 
house by twelve o'clock, with his big 
brown paper parcel. 

That evening In the parlor behind 
Whalen's shop the match-making was 
in progress. Old Dempsey, a wizened 
little yellow man of about sixty-five, 
was sitting at the table, facing Myles 
Whelan. There were tumblers and a 



bottle of whiskey between them, and 
a friend of old Dempsey's, who was 
acting as match-maker, was hovering 
uneasily between the two men, making 
such suggestions from time to time as 
were likely to facilitate the bargain. 

The girl whose match was being 
made sat by the window, looking out 
somewhat drearily over the little neg- 
lected garden at the back, which had 
more of the debris of the shop in it 
than it had flowers. Mrs. Whelan 
stood partly behind her husband's 
chair, looking at the would-be bride- 
groom with an unfriendly gaze. He 
had shown a tightness, a graspingness, 
about the bargain which had affronted 
her. Otherwise she saw nothing to ob« 
Ject to in the union of December and 
May, nor the manner of the making. 

Her own match had been made for 
her; and where was there a kinder 
man than Myles? And if Dempsey was 
a bit ould, wouldn't the girl have ev- 
erything a girl could want? She could 
choose for herself the next time, 
thought the good woman, cynically. 
She had her hand on her husband's 
shoulder. Now and then Myles' face 
would darken at some greedy exaction 
of the suitor. The atmosphere was 
electrical, though for all the girl at 
the window heeded it might have been 
smoothness itself. They were selling 
and buying her like a heifer. It was 
the custom of the country, and she 
would no more have thought of pro- 
testing against it than against the will 
of God for her. 

Suddenly into the intimate group 
came an uninvited guest — Bernard 
Riordan. Tes, it was Barney, though 
no one would have known him, in a 
smart gray suit and a new hat, with a 
crimson tie oddly becoming to the 
dark, soft, handsome fellow. 

Every face was turned toward him. 

"Don't be blamln' Andy," he said, 
quietly. (Andy was the youth behind 
the counter.) "He told me you were 
busy and couldn't be interrupted, but 
I thought I had a word to say in it. 
Myles Whelan, will ye have me for a 
husband for your niece? Ye'll never 
regret it and she'll never regret it. The 
land's good land. I have neglected it, 
but I'm going to do by it as I ought 
to." 

The girl at the window looked at 
him like Andromeda at her deliverer. 
As it happened, Bernard had arrived 
at the psychological moment. Old 
Dempsey had just demanded Mrs. 
Whelan's best feather bed as a part of 
her niece's dowry. Down went Myles 
Whelan's fist with a great clang 
among the tumblers. 

"Hang it!" he said, "let the girl 
speak for herself. I'm sick o' the busi- 
ness. An' the world knows, Barney 
Riordan, that you nayther drink nor 
play cards, that the farm's a good one 
an* you only want the bit o' go to make 
a man o' you. What do you say, Susy? 
Will you have the ould man here, 
that's for emptyin' the house before 
he'll take you, or will you have Bar- 
ney Riordan?" 

Bernard Riordan turned the most 
shy, love-litten face toward Susy. Mrs. 
Whelan saw the expression, and her 



woman's heart became suddenly soft 
and kind within her. 

"Sure, she'll have Barney," she be- 
gan. "An' the sooner some other 
trash I could name takes itself out o' 
my house" 

Mr. Dempsey was scrambling to his 
feet, his little pig's eyes aglow with 
indignation. 

"Where I'd never have come if you 
hadn't invited me, Ma'm," he was say- 
ing with resentment. 

But Barney had stepped up to Susy's 
chair, and, leaning over her, he was 
between her and the company. 

"It's 'yes.' darlin', isn't it?" he whis- 
pered. 

• ••••• 

No one was more delighted over 
Barney's reclamation than Mr. Morris, 
whose aftection for Barney enlarged it- 
self to take in Mrs. Barney. 

"At the same time," he would say. 
laughing, "that transaction with the 
bank was quite irregular. We don't 
give loans for clothes. Still, the result 
has certainly justified the departure. 
And if you want another loan— rnose 
bullocks are beautiful, Barney— for a 
legitimate purpose, you can have it." 

"Sure, isn't she like a fiower?" ask- 
ed Barney, looking delightedly at his 
wife. "An' where would flowers grow 
but in gardens?" 'Tis a garden I'll 
be makin' the place for her, an' keep- 
in* it" 

"Long may your garden grow!" re- 
turned the organizer. "It's well for 
us, Barney, that we still have flowers 
to make gardens for!" 



RAILROADS. 



eii^ 50 NEWJORK 
tPt/t/9 NEW ORLEANS 

AND RETURN 

Special trains of the AmericanMedical Aneoola- 
tion, who hold their annual session from May 
5th to 8th, will be run over the ILLINOIS 
CENTRAL to New Orleans, via Cincinnati* 
at-$85.50 return trip. 

For full particulars as to special rates and 
dates from other points apply to A. H. Hanson 
General Passenger Agent, Chicago, 111.» or 
W. J. McLean, General Eastern Passenger 
Agent, 336 Broadway, New York City. 

ILUNOiS CENTRAL RAILROAD CO. 



HEW YORK TO MEMPHIS 

Through Pullman buffet sleepers leaving 

New York daily, via Pennsylvani* 

Railroad, Southern Railway and 



FRISCO 



BXCSI^I^BNX aCRVICB FROM 

MEMPHIS 

XO ni^I^ POINTa IN XHR 

SOUTHWEST. 

Detailed information in regard to rates, train 
service, etc., furnished upon applicalion to 

F. D. RUSSELI*. General Eastern Agent, 

S8& llroadwaj, Niw Tork: 



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THE 



The Bouchaleen Bawn^ 



GAEL. May, J903. 

The Wind from Slieve-na-mon^ 



A Spixming Duet 



(From the Gaelic.) 



Maureen: 

1WENT to the wood when the morning was breaking, 
The lark a new song for true lovers was making, 
And whom did I meet but my Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Cauth: 
To meet Shaun O'Farrell you roved thro' the wild wood— 
The love of your prime is the love of your childhood— 
So take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Maureen: 
'Twas not Shaun O'Farrell I went to meet therein; 
With a gad on his back let him plough over Erinn! 
Then bind me and find me my Bouchaleen Bawn? 

Cauth: 
Alas, fickle colleen, where can you find better? 
He sings a sweet song and he writes a nice lettei^- 
Then take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Maureen. 
I like aong and letter, not writer or singer. 
And for one who'd love me the longer would linger- 
Then bind me and find me my Bouchaleen Bawn? 

Cauth: 
You went to the greenwood to meet Mike O'Malley, 
Who whistles a jig as he rides down the valley — 
So take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Maureen: 
I'd love him, and prove him, and wear him forever; 
But he is too stupid, or I am too clever — 
So take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 



By Denis A. McCarthy. 

THE gentle wind from Slieve-narmon, how softly would 
it sing 
Across the verdant valleys at the opening of th» 
Spring; 
How tenderly 'twould whisper of the Summer coming on^ 
The sighing wind, the singing wind, that came from Slieve- 
na-mon! 



The balmy wind from Slieve-na-mon, how kindly would it 

croon. 
Across the silent meadows in the summer-stricken nooa. 
What respite and relief it brought to every weary one. 
The K.indly, cooling, blessed wind that blew from Slieve- 
na-mon! 



The wailing wind from Slieve-na-mon, I seem to hear it 

still. 
As long ago I heard it from the fairy-haunted hill. 
As long ago I heard it when the harvest moon was wan — 
And feared the banshee's wailing in the wind from Slieve- 
na-mon! 

The roaring wind from Slieve-na-mon how wildly would It 

blow, 
When Winter cast upon its wings the burden of the snow» 
It shook the house with fury and it shook our hearts, anon» 
The wild and wintry wind that came from stormy Slieve- 
na-mon! 

The magic wind from Slieve-na-mon— sometimes it was a 
blast 

Of some enchanted bugle blown from Ireland's glorious f 
past. 

It called up memories of days when Ireland's banner shone 

And Irish cheers were mingled with the wind from Slieve- 
na-mon! 



Cauth: 
Yet go with the dull if he be but good-hearted; 
By east and by west may you never be parted — 
Then take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Maureen: 
The song bird would pine in the smoke and the smother! 
Oo east and go west till you chance on another — 
Then bind me and find me my Bouchaleen Bawn? 

Cauth: 
For Donal O'Falvey you'd roam the world over— 
Tho' many his darlings you may be the lover — 
So take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Maureen: 
Ah, Sheevaun O'Kelly would tear out my tresses 
If Donal should venture to seek my caresses — 
So bind me and find me my Bouchaleen Bawn? 

Cauth: 
That Jewel is rarest whose finding was hardest; 
That cargo is dearest whose journey was farthest- 
Then take him and make him your Bouchaleen Bawn! 

Maureen: 
No tree ever grew but 'twas matched by another; 

And the King of the Forest is Brian, your brother! 
Now, bind me and find me my Bouchaleen Bawn? 

P. J. M'CALL. 



The lonesome wind from Slieve-na-mon— Ah, weary hearc 
of mine! — 

It blows across a grave, to-day, as holy as a shrine. 

It blows across my mother's grave wherein, when life is 
gone, 

God grant that I may rest beneath the wind from Slieve- 
na-mon! 



An Irish Heart* 



TAKE Innocence and Candor and a love for every Rie^t, 
And mix them up together with a goodly share of 
Fight- 
And add a dash of Pathos and of Sympathy a share. 
And equal parts of Faith in €k>d and fervor in the Prayer» 
And Charity's sweet emblem might be tucked in there to 

show 
That Hope is e'er resplendent in a soft, ecstatic glow. 
Then label it with Courage and a sense of Wit and Fun, 
Nor be ashamed to claim it nor to stand by what you've 

done: 
But simply pour in Humor of the brilliant, wholesome kind. 
And all the loved ingredients of healthy, human mind. 
And set it on a pedestal of onyx grand and white. 
And then call all the people In to witness while yon write 
This fond and true inscription, taken from Life's every 

part: 
"This is, dear friends, a common thing— 'tis Just an Irish 

heart." 



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THE GAEL. 



J33 




The Magic Kingdoms* 




, , T is not an ill thing to 
ll^cross at times the marches of 
^silence and see the phantoms 
of life and death in a new 
way. It is not an ill thing, 
> even if one meet only the fan- 
tasies of beauty. It is well, 
is it not, any time, anywhere 
to meet a spirit of wisdom 
and beauty, or to look on 
the perfected symbol that 
is the moment's raiment of 
an immortal life, or the moment's illu- 
sion of a thought that is itself the gar- 
ment or dwelling of an immortal di- 
vinity? 

Perhaps one may meet Airil himself, 
the Light of Youth, of whom the isl- 
and Gaels speak as Airil nan Og, Airil 
of the youthful — Airil aU nan Og, 
Beautiful Airil of the Toung: in 
whose fellowship death may or may 
not be, but with whom in life youth 
is as a green grass that does not 
wither, and beauty as a wild rose that 
does not fade. 

In speaking of the Magic Kingdoms, 
I use the phrase with two meanings. 
One is an indication of what is taken 
to be supernatural, i. e., beyond our 
known realties, or phantasmal in im- 
agination; mysterious certainly, and 
beyond the proof-reach of everyday 
thought; magical, a possible illusion 
of the dreams beyond us that are pow- 
ers, or a possible illusion of the 
dreams that are powers within our 
minds, having there at once susten- 
ance and dominion. 

The epithet is not less apt in its 
other meaning: the kingdoms of lost 
wisdom, the old wisdom that was once 
ours in great part — ^how great a part 
we do not know, and now can never 
know, for with every lapsing age the 
forgotten art and faded powers of 
memory grow more dim and more 
confused. 

The Magic Kingdoms are the Mage- 
Kingdoms, the Knowing Kingdoms, 
and in a nearer and lesser sense are 
the mirrors where our lost commun- 



By Fiona MacLeod* 

ions, our lost intimacies, our remem- 
brances, our broken dreams, our dim 
conjectures, are imagined. They are 
then the kingdom of images. But, so, 
thoy are as the fabled floating Pool of 
Manan, where the son of Lir, looking 
down, could see in the depths the 
images of the dreams and thoughts of 
mortals, and know these to be alone 
seen of men, and, turning, could see 
in the depths above him the images of 
the dreams and thoughts of uplifted 
spirits, gods, powers, and the in- 
scrutable dominions: and looking to 
the south could see the rise and set 
of all the empires of the world, and 
the flashing of the flrst spears and the 
last: and looking to the north could 
see the joyous withdrawn life of the 
elder children of the earth, of the im- 
mortal Sidhe, of the Sidhe that are 
mortal, and of secret and mysterious 
lives. 

We who are but the far-away for- 
getting kindred of Manan cannot at 
will reach the Floating Pool, where 
the images of dreams acted and im- 
agined are perhaps not less real than 
is our brief mortal underplay. But, 
at times, one here, another there, may 
pass over it, as the wild swans are said 
to pass over the forbidden lynns of 
blue calm at the pole; or, in the other 
life of sleep and vision, may pass 
through It, as the shadow of a flying 
seabird passes through a still inland 
water, its phantom wing brushing the 
very mysteries, its phantom flight, 
swift and silent as the secret and swift 
and silent life it traverses but does 
not wake. ^ 

To what end? some will say. "Even 
if there be this other life, to what end, 
as it is not for us, or we for it? We 
have not time for the things of the 
half-light, having to hurry to climb 
the vanishing noon every day, and be- 
ing forever overtaken by the dark." 
But as well may I ask, why this cease- 
less hurry to chase shadows and to 
evade shadow. With Emerson I would 
say, let us leave hurry to slaves. There 



is always time for the things of the 
spirit 

''But we can have enough of beauty 
in what we already know for our de- 
light, that we can make our own: rai- 
ment, pictures, statues, all that art 
can give." 

But beauty does not dwell in things 
themselves, only in that spiritual vis- 
ion wherein the images of things take 
color and form, images of light and 
shadow each after its kind. 

*'But to look into this other life, is 
it not to disarrange or to disturb our 
own?" Why so? Both are in the 
swaying deeps. If I go from one to 
the other I flnd, in each, life moving 
as before in its long rhythms of joy 
and of sorrow. 

There are two imaginations. The 
two may become one, but each can be 
a thing apart 

There are two ways of approach to 
what is secret and for wonder, even 
when the things of secrecy ana wonder 
are not absolutely hidden, and are no 
more strange (and from one aspect 
no more remote) than is your life or 
mine. The one is the way of those 
whose minds leave the thoroughfares 
of thought, and follow the obscurer by- 
ways that lead to the imagined and 
legendary magic kingdoms, and re- 
turn, and tell what they have learned, 
and bring what they have gathered. 

The other is the way of those who in 
the spirit— that inward life which is 
in part a fire fed by a flame from with- 
out, and in part a subtle breath from 
within, come one knows not whence, 
going one knows not whither — ^have so 
often from love and longing sojourned 
in these lost realms, that thought of 
them is of the nature of reminiscence, 
the tale of them but a windthrow of 
gathered memories. 

Each has its authenticity. To some, 
who care only for these things as the 
hunter cares for the slot on the trail, 
the value of the flrst is all-important; 
that of the second, worthless; because 
the flrst are old, and have been curi- 



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THE GAEL. 



May. J903 



ously sought, and skilfully gathered; 
while the second are so near as to be 
incredible, or belong so much to to- 
day as to be lacking in the charm of 
the vague and distant. To others, the 
tale told to-day on the loch-water or 
by the red peats is of not less import 
than the same tale told when Oisin's 
mother was a hind upon the hill. 

To some, indeed, it means more: for 
It means that though the clans of the 
Gael are broken, and the old ancestral 
world is fast slipping away, the Gaelic 
heart has still its dim loves and loyal- 
ties, the Gaelic mind its time-grey an- 
cient faith. If I read in some old tale, 
recaptured from the past by Mr. Whit- 
ley Stokes or by Mr. Kuno Meyer, that 
a man walking by a mound in a place 
of faery is met by a beautiful woman, 
and loves her, and is led away by her 
through the mound to a secret coun- 
try, not to return, or, if so, to come 
back old and grey and mazed to a 
world unknowing him: am I to be the 
more moved by this than if Seamus 
Macalister, let us say, whom I meet on 
the heather hereby or on the shore 
yonder, tells me that his kinsman 
Micheil or Ian was crossing the hill 
one day, and saw a young and beauti- 
ful woman milking a deer while the 
herd broused unheeding; and that 
Micheil spoke to her, and that with her 
eyes looking into his and her smile 
gripping him round his heart his will 
faded out of him as sunset-light out of 
a pool, and he became her leannan, and 
went over the brae with her, and for 
days and weeks after that was strange 
and sullen, and then sullen no more 
but husht and listening, till one day 
he took his pipes (and he the proud 
piobair) and played "Lochaber no 
more," with a heartbreak new note to 
it, and then went to his Leannan-Shee 
laughing, and over the brae the two of 
them, and never to this day word or 
Sign of him again? 

And if the retold word of a forgotten 
dreamer of old says that the People of 
the Mounds love music, is that of more 
value than if Elsie coming from the 
byres, or Ewan the Shepherd coming 
from the moor, says that beyond the 
old thorn near the green mound the 
one heard the frith-cheol min nan sith- 
each seanp, "the soft low music of the 
slender people"; or the other saw for 
a startled moment the Itwhd nan true- 
Qcman vaine, "the tribe of the green 
mantles"? Or is it of greater value if 
the testimony of an unknown eirton- 
nach quoted by O'Curry is of the other 
world-murmur he had himself heard, 
or if, perhaps, Mr. Yeats be the wit- 
ness? 

In the same way there are those who 
delight in the old tale, let us say, of the 
island-home of Manan or Mananan, 
told perhaps by Keating; or of Deirdre 
and the Sons of Usnach, told by, let us 
say, O'Curry; or of Diarmid and 
Grainne, told in, it may be, the SUra 
Gadf^Jira — who would scorn, or at best 
be indifferent to, a variant told to-day, 
though with an authenticity neither 
more nor less; though it were told by 
an unlettered Gael, as the present 
writer has heard the story of Diarmid 
and Grainne told on the spot between 



Loch Tarbert and Loch Pyne where 
Diarmid had his death-wound from the 
boar, before laughing Finn; and the 
story of Deirdre, told by that calm bay 
in Benderloch, where the Dun of the 
Sons of Usna still f ragmen tarily stands 
and on the Moss of Achnacree where 
she and they oftentimes crossed, and 
in that Clyde-washed Arran that was 
of old Emhain Abhlach, the Isle of 
Apple Trees, where she bore her two 
children, Gaer and Aebhgrein; and the 
story of the ancient Pirbolg king, Lir 
(he who afterwards had his name 
given to an unknown god, him that 
fathered Manan, god of waters), a 
fathom-reach from the sunken Bogha 
Lhir, "the reef of Lir," off the lonely 
shores of the isle of Vallay in the 
Outer Isles. 

Shall it be said then that stories of 
the other life heard, gathered or im- 
agined to-day are worthless since they 
have not the "authenticity" of the un- 
known source and of time grown old? 
Who saw, and shaped, the tales of 
fairy, but those whose thought was a 
creative remembering, a personal vis- 
ion? Is the lore less, when, found on 
the wind's lips, it is spoken anew, half 
in fear it be not true, half in wonder 
that it is, than when it was heard on 
the lips of the wind a thousand years 
ago? 

Is It of worth only when a grey wan- 
dering dust is all that is left of the 
teller, and time's shadow heavy on his 
ancient words? Is one who stoops and 
listens to-day but an idle dreamer im- 
agining a vain thing: while one who 
repeats what others long ago listened 
to is held worthy? Truly he is worthy 
but is not the other also? 

"It is all illusion." Let the phrase 
pass, for we are in a world of illusion. 
It is by illusion, it is through illusions, 
the secret and divine powers use us 
nobly, and that the secret and destroy- 
ing i)owers are swift to use us ignobly: 
it is through illusion they communi- 
cate with us, that they continually per- 
suade or delude us. For the divine race 
has to use the mortal and changing il- 
lusions of things immortal, and the 
evil race the multiform and phantas- 
mal illusions of what is mortal only. 
We respond through the leap of in- 
stinct, or the slow pulse of conscience, 
or the mind rising like a bird on the 
wind, or, on the other part, through 
another instinct and a number or per- 
verted conscience and a mind like a 
hound held ever earthward on the trail 
of earthly things. 

And this raiment of truth and un- 
truth that we call illusion is dyed in 
many lovely hues, gathered out of love, 
devotion, heroism, courage, endurance, 
faith, honor; and out of the opposites 
of these: it is the raiment worn by all 
art. of sound, of color, of formal 
rhythm, of words; and it is the rai- 
ment of dreams and visions, that 
primitive language. 

And the simpler, the less subtle, the 
franker the method of illusion, the 
more illusory is the "actuality." We 
can all believe, because we all under- 
stand, what the old Frislc poet — the 
old Frisic shaper of the thought of 
many minds — wrote of the creation of 



Adam and Eve: "CJod created the flrat 
man from eight things: the bones from 
stone, the flesh from earth, the blood 
from water, the heart from wind, the 
thoughts from clouds, the sweat from 
dew, the hair from grass, and then 
breathed into the creature the holy 
spirit" 

But no one believes that stone and 
earth and water, that wind and cloud, 
that dew and grass were thus trans- 
muted: only that certain potential ele- 
ments of life were shaped into one con- 
crete life, and that the mystery of flesh 
and blood, of the heart that longs and 
the thought that Is an eternal pilgrim, 
were represented by the symbol of the 
earth or of water, of wind or of cloud. 

Not here and to-day only, but long 
ago when thought and language flrst 
flowered, and in the Magic Kingdoms 
themselves, it has ever been so: the in- 
stinct and need of the soul for illu- 
sion—the symbol for the eyes, and the 
mind that leans to see; and the illu- 
sion for the thought, and the mind that 
raises itself upon that thought, and 
knows "leagues upon more leagues be- 
yond that sea." 

In one of the old Celtic tales, the 
"Tale of the Ordeals," we read of the 
circlet of magic wood to be had from 
Ochamon the Fool on Sid Arfemin, to 
be used for the distinguishing between 
truth and falsehood. Or, in another 
tale, of the vessel of crystal got at the 
well-side by the wife of Badurn the 
King from two women whom she had 
seen pass beyond the well into the 
fairy mound above. And what is that 
magic circlet or that vessel of crystal 
but a symbol of the Illusion that we 
can judge between the illusions of 
truth and falsehood? 

The evil of the world and the beauty 
of the world — that also had of old, as 
now, to be shown in symbol or reveal- 
ed by illusion. There is an island-tale 
of one Manus, a King of the Suderoer, 
who, placed on an oaken dais by the 
shore (it is of another Canute, with a 
different burthen), bade the foam-men 
of the flowing tide rein in their foam- 
ing chargers, and ride back whence 
they had come: but when the sea, 
blind and deaf, covered the king with 
flying spray and clotted spume, Manus 
cursed it, and all it held within it. and 
all upon it, and cried out that it was 
but the froth and spittle of a drunken 
god. And that is one way of the illu- 
sion of the world that is beyond us. 
Again, in the ancient Irish tale of 
Morann MacMain, we are told that the 
flrst words of the child-king Morann, 
when held against the sea till the mir- 
acle of the ninth wave gave him 
speech, were: 

"Worship, ye of mortal race. 
God over this beautiful world." 
And that is another way of the illusion 
of the world that is beyond us. 

When, in a rhetoricial survival, we 
speak to-day of letting loose the 
hounds of war or of the gathering of 
the eagles, we neither mean nor are 
taken to mean actual hounds or actual 
eagles. We do but employ an illusion 
of words that once were an illusion of 
association. And no doubt the saga- 
man who told how Daurrud of Caith- 



Digitized by 



Google 



May, 1903* 



ness gaw twelve folk riding together 
to a bower, and followed, and looked 
through a slit in the wall, and saw 
twelve women who had set up a loom 
where men's heads were the weights 
and men's entrails the warp and weft, 
ana that a sword was the shuttle, and 
that the reels were arrows: and then 
saw them pluck down the woof and 
^ tear it asunder: and then how, hid- 
den, he saw these dread foretellers or 
weird sisters mount fierce stallions ana 
ride six to the south and six to the 
north ... no doubt this saga-man 
consciously used an illusion of words 
that had also or once had an illusion 
of association. 

There is a Gaelic tale of a man who 
could not believe in the mystery of the 
Trinity, till one day his druid (minis- 
ter or priest) told him to look at a 
dark cloud overhead. "There's rain 
in that cloud," he said, "and there is 
thunder in it, and there is lightning in 
it; but it is one cloud." And then he 
lit a torch, and said: "Here's yellow 
flame, and here's red flame, and here's 
a heart ox violet; but it's all one 
flame." And by these visible symbols 
he opened a window to that mind. 

In an early Scandinavian folk-tale a 
king disguises himself as an old way- 
farer, and at last reaches the Hall of 
Illusions in Asgard. He sees three 
thrones, one above another, and a man 
seated on each. He asks who these 
kings or jarls may be, and the Asgard 
man beside him says that he on the 
lowest throne is a king named Har 
(High), and tlfat the next is Jafuhar 
(Equally High), and that the highest 
of all is Thrithi (the Third), who is 
neither more high nor less high. 

And by those crude verbal symbols 
he conveyed what the other had con- 
veyed by the symbols of the torch and 
the cloud. 

And so I, or you, may take a symbol, 
as one takes a sword and means by 
that war, or takes a lily and means 
by that purity, or takes a dov€ and 
means by that peace: or we may use 
an illusion to others, even as the di- 
vine and evil powers speak through 
illusion to us, and say that, like King 
Gylfi among the Aesir folk, we think 
we stand steadfast in a world of reali- 
ties, when we are in truth flying shad- 
ows on a whirling dome. Read in 
Snorri's "Edda" of how Gylfl, the king, 
was troubled, and wondered much how 
the Aesir folk were so wise that every- 
thing went as they willed: pondering 
often if this came of their own uplift- 
ed nature or was caused by the divine 
powers whom they worshipped. 

And of how he made a journey to 
Asgard, traveling thither and entering 
there in the guise of a very old and 
weary man with his death-hour on 
him. But, we are told, the Aesir were 
too wise in foreknowledge, and knew 
of bis journey long before he came and 
while he was on his way, and received 
him with illusions. So when he enter- 
ed Asgard he saw only that he was in 
a hall 80 vast that he could not see its 
further walls, and so high that he 
could not see its roof, though the part 
he saw was covered with gilded shields 
like a roof of shingle or of great 
scales. 



THE GAEL. 

Are they lesser powers than the folk 
of Aesir, they who have foreknowledge 
of our deeds and dreams, and see our 
thoughts while yet a long way off, and 
our souls slowly following these, and, 
smiling in their calm, immortal wis- 
dom, likewise receive them, and us, 
with illusions? 

The Magic Kingdoms have many 
names. The most beloved is Tir-nan- 
Og, the LAnd of Youth; for youth is 
the shape of the heart's desire and the 
color of its immortal dream. I-Breasil 
or Hy-Brasil, an Island west of the 
sunset; Tir-na-thonn, the Land of the 
Wave; Tir-fo-thuinn, the Land under 
the Waves, are natural to those who 
dwell on isles or by the shores of that 
lonely West which kneels in grey cliffs 
at the feet of the sea. The Avalon of 
the Bretons and the Cymry is the Land 
of the Apple Orchards, natural to 
races blown about by continual wars, 
and generation by generation driven 
from old homelands by fierce herds- 
men of yellow-haired hosts; and the 
Alban Gaels had also their Emain 
Abhlach, or Isle of Apple Trees — a 
haven to dream of against the Pictish 
arrow, or the spear of Pirbolg, or the 
sudden galleys of th« men of Lochlann. 
"The Country of Music" is natural 
to a people who love a music born of 
the hill-wind, and the sough of pines, 
and the sighing wave as "The Country 
of the Sidhe" Is natural to a people 
who love beauty best when it is crown- 
ed with mystery. 

When the old Alban Gaels spoke of 
the spirtual kingdom of their longing, 
it was as natural to them, sons and 
daughters of the unsleeping sword, to 
call it Flaitheamhnos, now Flathanas 
of Flathas, the Place of Heroes, as it 
was for th«m to call the kingdom of 
their fear and hate, Ifurin— the Isle of 
Eternal Cold; for what hell could more 
be dreaded by the Gaels of the North 
than a place wetter and colder than 
their own desolate north in the months 
of dark and gloom? 

A man whose father had been "taken 
away" in his youth, but restored after 
three days, told me that his father, 
who was dazed to the hour of his 
death, always spoke of the kingdom 
he had gon-e to as a Place of Laughter, 
and would keep on asking with eager- 
ness, and in a voice unlike his own, 
"co shinneas an fhideag airgid," as 
much as to say, "who will now be play- 
ing the silver fiute?" And that, too, 
was natural. 

And have not all the poets of the 
Gael, in Ireland and Scotland, loved to 
speak of the Land of Heart's Desire? 
And some have named it the Isle of 
Sleep, and some the Land of Peace, 
and some the Hills of Silence. Per- 
haps no name Is nearer Tir-nan-Og, 
the Land of the Toung, than that men- 
tioned in the ancient tale of the fairy 
love of Connla, the son of Conn of the 
Hundred Battles, which the curious 
will find in one or other of the trans- 
lations of the "Leabhar na H'Uidhre." 
The love that Connla had was for a 
woman of the other world, but none 
knew this, till, by the king's will, a 
druid asked her whence she was come, 
and when she answered that it was 



J35 

from the land of those who live a beau-* 
tiful and deathless life, he knows that 
she is a woman of the Sidhe. So he 
chants a spell of mortality, and slm 
goes away because of the smell of 
death. 

Later she comes again, and none see* 
ing her save Connla only, she having 
given him the dew, I suppose. Conn, 
the king, however, hears her saying to 
Connla in her chanting voice, that it is 
no such lofty place he holds "amid 
short-lived mortals awaiting fearful 
death," that he need dread to leave it» 
"the more as the ever-living ones in- 
vite thee to be the ruler over Tethra 
. . . the Kingdom of Joy." 

But the name that is commonest of 
all in the tales of old is the Land of 
Promise. That is the refrain of half 
the broken chants that have fioated 
down the grey tides of time. It is the 
burden of the song that drew Cuchu- 
lain to Fand, and that Liban sang to 
wandering Mananan of the waters, and 
that drew Connla across the red wave, 
and that led Oisin after Niamh by the 
spell of lovely words, and of the songs 
and tales of a hundred others whose 
memories are green yet in our love. 

In that day, as later, it was the en- 
chantment of youth that was the spell. 
For all the joys of the Land of Prom- 
ise are the joys of youth. Moy Mell» 
the Plain of Honey, the poets call it 
oftun. 

And there are other kingdoms of 
Faery of which I will not say anything 
now, but later. Of some none can now 
speak, for their secret is long ago dust 
upon the wandering winds. Of such is 
that wild land of mountainous cliff and 
climbing surge, where was seen of 
Cailte the mysterious Battle of the 
Destroying Birds, with their beaks of 
bone and breaths of fire, and a wind as 
cold as a spring-wind issuing from be- 
neath their wings: and where all slew 
each other with their beaks of bone 
and breaths of fire. 

And there is the kingdom guarded 
by the ramparts of fire, a circle of 
fiame lit every night by three men,, 
who have gifts of wonder: ior one can 
heal all, and another can obtain all, 
and the third can bring to the hand 
the secret desire of the heart. 

These are the three men of the 
Tuathe De Danann who gave their 
names to Finn, In the Tale of the Oak- 
grove of the Conspiracy. But the tale 
has surely a deeper significance: and 
the first of the men, who says: "I am 
called Dark," is perhaps a personifica- 
tion of Night, and it may be of Sleep 
or Oblivion; and the second, who says: 
"I am called Strife," is perhaps a per- 
sonification not only of war, but of ad- 
venture and conquest, and the energy 
that has the lordship of the earth; and 
the third, who says: "I am called the 
Eagle," is perhaps a personification of 
the soaring mind and of the imagina- 
tion—for is it not added in the tale 
that he had also another gift, a reed of 
music, that could soothe all the weari- 
ness of men and put sleep and dreams 
upon them, however great their ill? 

And if in these lost lands strange 
and terrible figures appear at times 
. . as the Red Swineherd, and the 



136 



THE GAEL. 



May, J903. 



three Blood-Red Horsemen, and wo- 
men with hawks' heads, or these dread 
creatures who are the evil opposites of 
the Healer and the Maker and the 
Soother by the Ramparts of Fire, of 
whom I have Just spoken, who, in the 
story of the Little Rath of the Incanta- 
tion, appear to Finn and the three bat- 
talions of the Fianna, with three 
spears dropping venom, and venom on 
all their weapons, on their dress, on 
their hands and feet, and dropping like 
sweat from the fells of the three red 
hounds that go before them. . . . 
there are others and more, with whom 
meeting is gladness. 
. And there are some noble and beau- 
tiful among the most noble and beau- 
tiful of all the children of earth: as 
Etain Fairhair, daughter of Aed 
Whltebreast, King of the Elf-Mound of 
Ben Etair, and wife of Oscar the son 
of Oisin, the story of whose death by 
the body of her husband and friend 
and first love is as full of noble beauty 
as the story of the death of Emer by 
the body of Curhulain, wnen upon each 
queen tainic glaiH*8 duibe . . had 
"come greenness and darkness" — the 
same Etain Foltfind who gave so 
queenly an answer to Finn when the 
king asked the mplden: "Well. Etain 
Fairhair, what conuition dost thou ask 
from the son of the son of the king- 
champion, even Oscar?" . . (Said 
the damsel): "Never to leave me until 
my own evil deeds come against me." 
Or, again, as Cailte, that true hero, 
who, when Patrick the Shaven asked 
him what had so maintained him and 
his Pagan folk in their heathen life, 
answered: "Righteousness in our 
hearts, and strength in our arms, and 
fulfilment in our tongues." 

And if one may meet the dread Mor- 
rigan, or Maeve that dark queen, one 
may meet Fand, that white star of 
love, or Niamh of the tresses, or Find- 
abalr that white flower. And there 
are others, of whom one must not 
speak overmuch: the Amadan Dhu, the 
dark Fool of the Secret People; and 
Be-mannair, daughter of that very 
Ainceol of the Tn<atha De Danann who 
with his companions appeared before 
Finn and the Fianna dropping venom 
. . . .herself the she- messenger of 
tJie Tuatha De Danann, "and 'tis she," 
as the old Gaelic poet says, "that shifts 
into the shape of a spepduhan and a 
whale, and forms herself into the sem- 
blance of a fly, and of a true lover, 
both man and woman, so that all leave 
their secret with her"; or as Aillenn 
the Multiform, daughter of Bove the 
Red, the Dagda's son. 

And that reminds me that it is only 
the later poets and story-tellers who 
confuse the Tuath De Danann and the 
peoples of the Sidhe. For this very 
Allenn the Multiform, when she was 
challenged before Aed, King of Con- 
nacht, and his host, answered aright: 
"I am not an Elfwoman, but one of the 
Tuatha De Danann, with whom my 
own body about me." 

But of these Hidden Kingdoms, and 
the dwellers in their many realms, and 
of the people of the Sidhe, and the 
greater and the less, I must say no 
more now. There Is a saying of the 



Sidhe: "the grey feet of the wind go 
before you!" and that is said when 
they pass a Cairn of Rest; and that, 
now, is where I stand. 



Ancient Order of Hiberniansu 

A SPECIAL meeting of the "Board 
of Erin" Ancient Order of Hi- 
bernians was held on March 8th 
at Clones, Ireland. Brother James Mc- 
Kiernan, Felmagh, presided. There 
was a full attendance of the Irish 
county delegates, and the North of 
England and Scotland was also repre- 
sented. 

The meeting was one of the most im- 
portant tbe branch has held for a gen- 
eration. For some time past negotia- 
tions have been in progress for amal- 
gamation with the American Order. 
Correspondence of a most satisfactory 
nature on the subject was read by the 
National secretary. Only one small 
matter of procedure now awaits settle- 
ment to put the Ancient Order of Hi- 
bernians on the same footing all the 
world over. A resolution covering this 
point was agreed upon, and the Na- 
tional Secretary was instructed to for- 
ward same to the National President 
of the American Board. 

On the motion of the Chairman, sec- 
onded by Bro. Scullion (Derry), it was 
also agreed to request the National 
President and the executive of the 
American Branch of the Ancient Order 
of Hibernians to officially co-operate 
with and assist Mr. Joseph Devlin, 
M. P., in extending the United Iri»h 
League in America, and a manifesto 
expressive of the views and opinions of 
the Order in Europe on this matter 
was unanimously adopted for trans- 
mission to the National President of 
America. It was also agreea to send 
copies of this document to Bishop 
M'Faul and to Mr. Jos. Devlin, M. P. 

On the motion of Bro. John Crilly 
(Belfast), seconded by Bro. John Trai- 
ner (Armagh), and supported by Bro. 
M'Govem (Cavan), the following reso- 
lution was also unanimously adopted: 

"That this meeting of the 'Board of 
Erin' Ancient Order of Hibernians, as 
the oldest National Society in Ireland, 
with a history and memories dating 
back through many generations of our 
country's sorrowful but still glorious 
story, hail with delight the apparent 
hopeful dawn of better times for our 
beloved land; we have watched with 
satisfaction the recent conferences be- 
tween the representatives of the land- 
lords and the Irish Parliamentary 
Party for the abolition of dual owner- 
ship in Ireland, and the establishment 
of a universal proprietary.; 

"We think our opinion of the pro- 
posed terms of settlement will be 
best and most fittingly expressed 
in the reaffirmation of our confi- 
dence In the Chairman of the 
Irish Parliamentary Party and the 
other responsible guides of Irish Na- 
tionalism associated with him; and we 
accordingly record our belief that 
whatever policy Mr. John B. Redmond. 
Mr. John Dillon. Mr. William O'Brien 
and Mr. Michael Davitt may adopt to' 



rid Ireland of landlordism will be loy- 
ally accepted by the whole nation. 

"Having, therefore, unquestioned 
confidence in our leaders, we request 
the Nationalists of Ireland to suspend 
judgment on the Land Conference pro- 
posals till the promised Land BlU U 
introduced, when alone the nation will 
be in a position to judge the interpre- 
tation the Government have given to 
the new treaty of peace, and to decide 
accordingly." 

An important matter in connection 
with the government of the Order in 
Scotland was discussed; but a decision 
on this, together with other business 
had, owing to the exigencies of train 
arrangements, to be postponed to the 
ordinary quarterly meeting. A resolu- 
tions of regret at the death of Sir Chas. 
Gavan Duffy was passed, and several 
delegates paid warm tributes to his life 
and work at a stirring period in Irish 
history. 



A Shell from Mcm'ry^s Shore* 

ONE day we wandered on the 
strand 
A merry group were we. 
Who left the staid and solid land 

To gambol by the sea, 
The waves in fury rose and fell. 

But when the storm was o'er 
I found this little pearly shell. 

This shell from Mem'ry's shore. 
This little pink and pearly shell 
A shell from Mem'ry's shore. 

Eacn scanned my prize and deemed it 
fair. 

Then tossed It back to me. 
The sands a golden glory were, 

A rainbow spanned the sea. 
Joy winged the air, the hearts as well. 

Dear happy hearts of yore. 
Now breathing only in this shell, 

This shell from Mem'ry's shore. 
This little pink and pearly shell, 

A shell from Mem'ry's shore. 

O Love, thy legacy is tears 

To those who cherish thee. 
When mocking Fates forerun the years 

And severed lives decree, 
But still the souls among us dwell 

Of' loved ones gone before. 
They breathe within this little shell. 

This shell from Mem'ry's shore. 
This little pink and pearly shell, 

A shell from Mem'ry's shore. 

—MARY A. O'REILLY. 



St Patrick Dead J,4J0 Years. 

ST. PATRICK, Ireland's apostle, died ' 
in the Monastery of Saul, County 
Down, on March 17, A. D., 493. 
He hae been dead 1,410 years. McGee 
says: "He was buried with national 
honors, in the Church of Armagh, to 
which he had given the primacy over 
all the churches of Ireland; and such 
was the concourse of mourners, and 
the number of masses offered for his 
eternal repose, that from the day of 
his death till the close of the year the 
sun is practically said never to have 
set — so brilliant and so continual was 
the glare of tapers and torches." 



May, J903. 



THE GAEL 



J37 



The *^ Twang'' of the ^^ Returned Yank/' 



F there is anything which particu- 
larly annoys sensible Irishmen 
and women in Ireland it is the 
absurdly outlandish accent which 
"returned Yanks" so often affect. 
A "returned Yank," as so many 
of my readers know, is a person, 
born and reared in Ireland, who 
has spent some time in America. 
Nearly every Irish community, no mat- 
ter how remote, can boast of some "re- 
turned Yank" — some native who has 
gone to the United States, and who for 
some reason or other has returned to 
the old familiar place. 

His sojourn abroad may have been 
for twenty years or twenty months, 
hut no matter how destitute he may 
be, on his return^ of other American 
possessions, he is nearly always sure 
to bring home a Yankee "twang"— 
something fearful and wonderful to 
listen to— a "twang," by the way, 
which is most decidedly not American. 
The shorter his stay in America the 
more pronounced is the accent he car- 
ries home. Indeed, the fellow who 
comes out to see (as the phrase goes) 
"what time it Is," is much more likely 
to affect a foreign accent than the man 
who has been in America for years, 
and who has had time to learn the 
foolishness of all affectation and the 
▼anity of superior airs. 

(I remember distinctly that young 
men of my native town who wore a red 
tunic for three months in the militia 
retained forever after a Cockney ac- 
cent This by way of parenthesis.) 

The Irish emigrant to America who 
returns to Ireland Is very often one 
who in the severe and unceasing grind 
of the American fight for existence has 
learned the virtues of patience, perse- 
verance, sobriety and steadiness, but 
quite as often he is a fellow puffed up 
with pride at being a traveler, who 
weaves beautiful and alluring ro- 
mances of American life which find 
ready credence among the inexperi- 
enced youths of the country-side, who 
in their turn long to leave their own 
country to seek tue fortune which they 
are persuaded surely awaits them on 
this side of the Atlantic. 

It is this latter example of the "re- 
turned Yank" who uses the "twang" 
and who is full of strange American 
profanity. He is an active dissemi- 
nator of the emigration idea, and as 
such deserves to be most decidedly 
frowned upon. Instead of telling the 
truth about the hardships which the 
emigrant, in nine cases out of ten, en- 
counters here, he dwells upon the fine 
wages, the easy work, and the cer- 
tainty of making a fortune in a few 
years. 

The other side of the picture he 
rarefully hides; and his devil-may-care 
swagger, his assumption of knowledge, 
and the freedom with which he dis- 
euBses matters which the average Irish 
boy would not dare to think of, have 



By Denis A. McCa^rthy. 



an intoxicating effect upon young 
blood and young brains. Of course he 
is a bOHthoon of the first water, but he 
doesn't know It. Neither do his young 
hearers. 

This sort of creature is not, I am 
sorry to say, confined to the male sex. 
Unhappily too many of the Irish s^rls 
who return do so apparently for the 
purpose of showing off their tawdry 
American finery, and of posing before 
the astonished villagers as a "returned 
Yank." They also affect the fearful 
and wonderful accent, and from their 
lips which in youth formed the fine old 
Gaelic phrases of greeting and bless- 
ing, nothing is heard more un-Ameri- 
can than "hello," or "say," or "I 
guess," and a lot of the cheap slang 
which is the counterfeit currency of 
American speech. 

Sensible Irish people, however, are 
not misled by the "returned Yank" or 
his "twang," or his slang or his yams. 
They see through him instinctively. 
They know pretty well, though they 
may never have been outside their na- 
tive village, the difference between 
common-sense and ramais, and their 
comments on the "returned Yank" are 
usually racy of the soil The corre- 
spondent of the "Southern Cross," of 
Buenos Ayres, Argentina, who was re- 
cently in Ireland, tells of speaking, 
while there, with a farmer's wife 
whose opinions on the "returned 
Yank" are as follows: 

"Oh, don't be talking! They'd break 
your heart so they would. Its only by 
strainljig yourself that you could get 
to understand a word here and there 
out of them at all, at all— with their 
'aiyow — you — yaows', and . talking 
through their noses, and — oh, 'deed 
you wouldn't be long until you got 
tired of it" 

The correspondent suggested that 
these "returned ' Yanks" hear people 
talking that way all around them in 
the United States and they grow in 
time to talk in the same manner; 
whereupon the good vanitJiee replied: 

"Maybe so. But sure, I've seen some 
of them coming back after being only 
a few months away and they'd be as 
bad as th' others. They'd annoy you, 
I tell you. If one o* them came into 
your house Its find In' fault with you 
they'd be before they done much more 
than bid you the time o' day. And its 
'Awe, naow, what are you doing with 
them old chairs?' And 'why don't you 
bum them old stools?' And 'why do 
you wear that sort of a cap?' You 
never heard the like o' them. And 
never content with ansrthing! 

"Turning up their noses at your 
clothes and your house and your grid- 
dle cakes, and your bacon and cab- 
bage. There was a girl who used to 
live convaynient to here once, and she 
came home last Christmas after being 
five years away. Well, the dickens a 
word I could understand at all out of 



her. I could cry to hear the 'yow 
yaows' of her every time she came in 
here, for she was a good little girl an' ^ 
she growing up, an' meself an' her poor 
mother — God be good to her — was 
bosom friends. 

"Oh! them people that comes home 
from North America makes me head 
ache, so they do. I'm not saying any- 
thing against the country they live in, 
for it must be a good country, and a 
power of money comes home to Ire- 
land from it; and sure, like that, a 
power of the best flesh and blood In 
Ireland goes out to it, too." 

The United States seems only to 
vulgarize some Irish emigrants, and it 
is these vulgar and ostentatious indi- 
viduals who, when they find their way 
home, proceed to give a very erroneous 
idea of what America is. Sometimes 
they have money, and then their vul- 
garity is all the grosser. Sometimes 
they return almost penniless, but com- 
ing from America they are fondly be- 
lieved to have a "pile." But they are 
all sure to have that detestable 
"twang" which has made the name of 
"returned Yank" an abomination. 



THE GAEL will be sent to any ad- 
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for one year for |1.00, or to any ad- 
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year for 5 shillings. 

All subscriptions are payable in ad- 
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Orders should be made payable to 
THE GAEL, 140 Nassau Street, New 
York. 



THE GAEL can be purchased regu- 
larly each month from any of the fol- 
lowing agents: 

IRELAND. 
Eason ft Son, Ltd., 89 and 91 Middls 
Abbey St 

DUBLIN. 
Gill ft Son, 60 Upper O'Connell St 

ENGLAND. 
Williams & Butland (wholesale agents) 

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friars, London, 
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SCOTLAND. 
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FRANCE. 
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^uiioa, x-uxx i]4UBa Dein. \;iip 

Digitized by V^OOQ IC 



138 



THE GAEL. 



May, J903. 




St* Patrick's Day Celebration in Dublin* 




PROCESSION of enormous di- 
mensions, organized by the 
Gaelic League, with the object 
of marking the opening of the 
Irish Language Week and 
stimulating public interest in 
and support for its work, took 
place through the streets of Dublin on 
Sunday, March 15th last, being wit- 
nessed by immense crowds all along 
the line of route. The procession was 
marked by the utmost orderliness and 
splendid organization, and occupied 
two hours passing any given point 

The pictures given herewith are re- 
productions of snap-shots taken by our 
Dublin correspondent and show the 
procession passing through O'Conneli 
Street. 

Afterwards most of the processionists 
and a large number who had been sym- 
pathetic spectators of the scene as- 
sembled at Smithfield, where a public 
meeting was held, at which an address 
In Irish by Dr. Douglas Hyde was de- 
livered. The proceedings, both at the 
immense street parade and at the pub- 
lic meeting, constituted a splendid tes- 
timony to the success of the work and 
organization of the Gaelic League. 

The desire to make St. Patrick's Day 
a National holiday has been growing 
apace during the past year particular- 
ly. The Gaelic League have been busy 
propagating the idea, and bringing it 
to its present advanced position. The 
business people were asked to close 



their shops and offices, and most of 
them complied cheerfully with the re- 
quest 

The majority of the shops closed, 
thus throwing those which remained 
open into unwonted prominence. It 



must be said that there existed some 
doubt in the minds of some of the busi- 
ness people as to which was the better 
course to adopt 

There was no very definite program 
to go by, and it was not difficult to un- 





PROCBSSION PASSING FATHER MaTHBW'S STATUE. 



derstand the attitude of vacillation 
which some of the traders in the city 
held. On the other hand, there were 
many large business concerns whose 
managers never hesitated as to the 
right course to pursue. They fell in at 
once with the suggestion to make St 
Patrick's Day a holiday in the fullest 
sense of the word, and the feeling is 
growing that before the next anniver- 
sary comes round, even without the 
force of the Act of Parliament, which 
will soon be passed, the whole popula- 
tion will agree to make the day a gen- 
eral and a national holiday. 



PROCESSION PASSING NELSON'S PILLAR. 



'HE occupations or avocations of 
the most prominent Gaelic Leag- 
uers in Ireland are as follows: 
Mr. J. P. Craig is professor of Irish 
in St Eunan's Seminary, Letterkenny; 
Mr. James J. Ahern, B.A., is professor 
of Irish and mathematics in the De La 
Salle Training College, Waterford; the 
Rev. Dr. Michael O'Hickey is professor 
of Irish in Maynooth College; Mr. J. J. 
O'Kelly teaches Irish at Newbridge 
College; Mr. Osborn J. Bergln is tutor 
of Irish at the Qu|én*s College, Cork. 
Digitized by v^nL 



May, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 




Irish Humor* 



H^ 




By Richard Ashe Kinsr. Author of ''The Wearinsr o^ the Green.^ 




T looks as though wit and humor 
are indigenous in Ireland but 
exotic in England and Scotland 
when you find the English and 
Scots humorist usually laughing 
<U his subject and the Irish toith 
his. In Dickens' novels, for in- 
stance, and in those of Mr. Bar- 
rie, the peasant personages say 
their humorous things in wooden 
unconsciousness of their humor, but 
what character in any Irish play or 
novel says a humorous thing — other 
than a bull — unconsciously? 

"I joke wi' great deeflculty," says the 
Scotsman; but the difficulty with the 
Irishman is to refrain from joking. 
Hence I tdrink one characteristic of 
Irish wit and humor — its lightness of 
touch and tread. It needs but a light 
touch to strike a match on a prepared 
surface, and the surface of the Irish 
mind is always prepared for a joke. 

Some time ago a friend of mine ask- 
ed a Dublin corner boy why he was 
staring intently after an old gentle- 
man who was tripping up Grafton 
Street with all the jaunty elasticity of 
youth, "What's the matter with the old 
gentleman?" "What's tie matther wid 
him? Look at the walk of him! Be- 
gor! he is so light on his feet he only 
touches the ground in high places!" 
In right of his Celtic blood the Irish- 
man, in his wit and humor especially, 
never walks with the ponderous police- 
man's tread but "only touches the 
ground in an odd place." 

I cannot resist quoting here a simi- 
lar comment made on senile agility 
by an old beggar woman which the 
late Father Ryan overheard in Har- 
court Street. The Catholic dean, a sep- 
tuagenarian, broke off a conversation 
with Father Ryan in order to hurry 
after ana catch a passing tram, to the 
amazed admiration of the old beggar 
woman. "Terrah, look at the ould 
dane," she cried more to herself thaa 
to Father Ryan, "sklppin' about like 
a new-married flea!" 

If "the ould dane" had been a Pro- 
testant dignitary her comment would 
probably nave been as caustic as that 
of another old woman whom Le Fanu, 
the novelist's brother, overheard in 
Stephen's Green. 

Archbishop Whately, who delighted 
to shock conventions, was sitting and 
swinging on the rails which fence the 
green opposite his palace, playing with 
his dog, when two old Catholic ladies 
approached. "That's the archbishop!" 



whispered one to the other, who think- 
ing it must be the Roman Catholic 
archbishop, exclaimed rapturously, 
"Ah, the dear, darlin' man! As inno- 
cent and as playful as a blessed lamb!" 
Whereupon her friend angrily explain- 
ed, "It's the Proteshtant archbishop!" 
to the instant changing of the tune of 
her companion, who snorted, "The 
ould fool!" 

And here I may note a significant 
contrast — explicable historically — ^be- 
tween popular and literary Irish wit 
and humor. Literary Irish wit and 
humor, being those of the Pale and of 
the ascendency class, are cheerful and 
good-natured, whereas popular Irish 
wit and humor, being those of a peo- 
ple who for centuries have been op- 
pressed and suppressed, are sarcastic 
and sardonic. "Pasquinade" is a word 
which dates back to a day and to a city 
in which suppression was pushed to 
the last turn of the screw, and it is 
probably to the character of their his- 
tory as much as to their own character 
that the Italians owe their just repu- 
tation of being the most sarcastic peo- 
ple in Europe. It is even more to the 
character of their history than to their 
own character that the causticity of 
popular Irish wit and humor is due. 

Why otherwise should Irish literary 
wit and humor have the singular merit 
of good nature? Singular, since ninety- 
nine hundredths of all the recorded 
wit of the world is ill-natured and owes 
its currency to its ill nature. It is pre- 
served by its brine. "I hear Mr. Rog- 
ers," said a lady friend to the poet, 
whose tongue cut like a sharp razor, 
"I hear, Mr. Rogers, that you are in 
the habit of saying very ill-natured 
things." "Perhaps so, madam," replied 
the poet. "But, a^ you hear, I have a 
very weak voice, and if I did not say 
ill-natured things nobody would hear 
me." It is the Ill-natured things 
which, like diseases, are propagated, 
while the good-natured are no more 
infectious than health. 

It is much to its credit, therefore, 
that Irisn literary wit is sweet-natur- 
ed. How tart, for instance, is the wit 
of the wittiest of English comedies — 
the comedies of the Restoration — of 
Congreve, Wycherley, Vanbrugh, with 
one exception, that of an Irishman, 
Farquhar. "Farquhar," says Hazlitt, 
"of all the dramatists of the Restora- 
tion alone makes us laugh from plea- 
sure, not from malice." 

The same critic again, after saying 



of Sheridan's "School for Scandal" that 
"it was the most finished and faultless 
comedy we have," adds, "Besides the 
wit and ingenuity of this play there 
is a genial spirit of frankness and 
generosity which does the heart good." 
How sweet-natured, too, the humor of 
Goldsmith and of Dick Steele. By the 
way, it is to a comedy of Steele's that 
Sydney Smith pays the compliment of 
selecting from it an ideal specimen of 
humor. Here it is; 

In Dick Steele's "The Funeral"— 
what a title for a comedy !^^the under- 
taker arranges the mutes in the order 
of the forlornness of their counten- 
ances — the most lugubrious-looking 
near the coffin, the least near the door. 
When, however, he turns to give the 
place of honor near the corpse to his 
premier knight of the rueful counten- 
ance he finds to his disgust his coun- 
tenance rueful no longer. "You infer- 
nal scoundrel!" he exclaims. "Didn't 
I take you out of a great man's service? 
Didn't I give you the pleasure of re- 
ceiving wages for the first time? Didn't 
I raise your wages from ten shillings 
a week to fifteen, from fifteen to 
twenty? Yet I declare to God I believe 
the more w^ges I give you the more 
cheerful you look!" 

If you were to ask critics of any 
school what English author shows 
most of that divine combination of the 
guilelessness of childhood with the 
tenderness of womanhood and the 
strength and wisdom of manhood 
which we call "chivalry," would they 
not unanimously name Oliver Gold- 
smith—the name which in all the lit- 
erature of the eighteenth century 
smells sweetest and blossoms from the 
dust? 

Even in that poem which anger 
might well have inspired — for no one 
received more frequent, stupid or bru- 
tal provocation from his friends than 
Goldsmith— even in "Retaliation," 
where is the retaliation? His humor 
plays there upon the faults, follies, and 
frailties of these friends like moon- 
light upon a ruin, showing, indeed, 
gaps and rents and breaches of decay 
but softening them even while it shows 
them. Indeed, Irishmen, from Farqu- 
har to Goldsmith, have done a finer 
thing even than write the finest come- 
dies in the English tongue— they have 
made us love as heartily as they have 
made us laugh at human nature. 

But popular Irish wit is as mordant 
as Irish literary wit is genial; for the 



140 



THE GAEL. 



May, 1903. 



rollicking Irisli humor of carmen, boat- 
men, and guides is purely histrionic, a 
farce deliberately played to tickle and 
catch— as trout are caught by tickling 
— ^the E>ngllsh tourist 

Here is a significant encounter a 
friend of mine overheard between a 
Dublin vendor of oranges and an Eng- 
lish lady tourist who had bargained 
down the fruit to the lowest farthing. 
As the English lady hurried away with 
her purchase the orange woman vol- 
leyed after her a shower of Irish. 
''What are you saying?" asked the 
English lady turning back. "Sure I 
was wishing the grace of Gk>d to foUey 
yer ladyship while ye live an' the 
heavens to be yer bed whin ye die." 
This, however, was a free translation 
of what she really had said in Irish: 
"Te're the manest anatomy of famine 
that ever was raked out of the embers 
of hell." 

The humor of the Irish peasant who 
Is not playing the fool to the order or 
the taste of the tourist is almost al- 
ways sardonic. Here, for example, is 
the retort of a Cork peasant to a mild 
)oke of an English parson. The par- 
son complained to my friend, with 
whom he was on a visit, tnat he had 
never heard — what he had so often 
heard of — the wit of the Irish peasant 
"But have you ever spoken to an Irish 
peasant?" "No." "Then let us try the 
next man we meet." The next man 
they met was leading by a halter a 
horse with a white blaze on its face, 
which suggested to the parson the mild 
remark: "What a white face your 
horse has got!" "Paix thin, it's yer 
own face 'ud be as white if it had been 
as long in the halther!" retorted the 
.peasant in a tone which suggested that 
the wish was father to the thought 

And I shall not soon forget the sar- 
donic tone of a remark with which a 
Dublin beggar woman cut down at one 
stroke my sister and myself — myself 
as a muff, my sister as a virago — since 
she took us for husband and wife. Hav- 
ing begged vainly from my sister she 
slunk behind us and groaned as from 
the bottom of her heart, "Ah thin, 
God help the poor man that couldn't 
say 'No' to ye!" 

Yet more scathing was the rebuke of 
another beggar woman which an Irish 
barrister assured me he had overheard 
In a Catholic church in Sligo. As the 
bishop was expected the church was so 
overcrowded that a grandly dressed 
lady had much difficulty in elbowing 
her way through the congregation to- 
wards the confessional. An old beggar 
woman who resented being hustled 
aside by this superb personage scream- 
ed after her: "Ah thin now, do ye 
think nobody's got a resarved case but 
yerself!" a "resarved case" being the 
case of a crime so heinous that only a 
bishop could absolve It. 



AT Mayo Assizes Michael Morley, 
Bekan, Ballyhaunis, was sen- 
tenced to eight months' impri- 
sonment with hard labor for embezz- 
ling £17 belonging to the Bekan Co- 
operative Agricultural Society, of 
which he was secretary. 



The Premier Duke of England* 

THE Duke of Norfolk, who led the 
procession of British peers at 
the Vatican recently, is not like- 
ly to repeat the mild sensation he 
caused on his visit to Rome two years 
ago, when he expressed In public a 
wish for the restoration of the tem- 
poral power of the Pope. The Duke is 
a sincere Roman Catholic, earnest in 
his religion as in everything else, and 
there is not in the peerage a more 
kindly and courteous peer than he. 

In order, it was supposed at the 
time, to emphasize the loyalty of Ro- 
man Catholics in England, the Duke 
went out to South Africa almost with- 
out a day's warning. The idea that he 
should go came as a sudden inspira- 
tion, and he only joined the company 
after it had been made up, when, as he 
said to a friend, "strictly speaking, 
there was no room for me." But the 
Duke found time to take his sword to 
Archbishop's House at Westminster 
and have it solemnly blessed by Car- 
dinal Vaughan. 

Nobody could say that the Duke of 
Norfolk is a haughty man; his care- 
lessness of rank and his homely man- 
ner make it almost impossible to think 
of him as a duke. There is probably 
some truth in the stories which have 
their origin in his disregard of dress — 
such as that, for instance, of the tele- 
graph girl who was impolite and was 
only brought to her senses when the 
man at the counter handed in a form 
addressed to an official of the Post 
Office and signed, "Norfolk, Postmas- 
ter-General." 

Another story comes to mind. The 
Duke was going to Stonyhurst College 
for speech-day, and a carriage met him 
at the railway station. Two tall and 
well-dressed gentlemen preceded him, 
and as they reached the carriage an 
official asked: "Stonyhurst College, 
gentlemen?" Upon replying "Yes," 
they were allowed to enter the car- 
riage. Behind them came a man not 
by any means faultlessly dressed, and 
as he was about to step into the car- 
riage the official said. "Stand away, 
please; Duke of Norfolk's carriage." 
"Yes. I know," said the other, "I am 
the Duke of Norfolk." 

The Earl of Fingall (family name 
Plunkett), one of the four Earls who 
usually accompanies the Duke ,is al- 
ways at home in Rome, where he was 
born. He has claims to hospitality In 
many countries, for, while he was born 
in Italy, the family comes from Den- 
mark, be enjoys an Irish earldom, and 
a barony of the United Kingdom, and 
he has fought for England in South 
Africa. 

His father was born in Naples, and 
his grandfather in Geneva, so that the 
birthplace of the Plunketts have been 
as fairly distributed as they well could 
be. Lord Fingall is the premier Ro- 
man Catholic baron of Ireland, as the 
Duke of Norfolk Is of England. 

The family has been settled in Ire- 
land for six or seven centuries, and 
their seat through all these years has 
been in the County Meath. 



The Irish G>lor« 

GREEN is universally regarded» 
says the "Westminster Gazette, 
as the Irish color. But antiquar- 
ians say that green as the national flag 
of Ireland is of comparatively modem 
origin. 

The latest authority to express an 
opinion on the subject is the Rev. Can- 
on French, a learned member of the 
Royal Irish Academy. He does not 
accept the explanation that the green 
flag was adopted by the United Irish- 
men at the close of the eighteenth cen- 
tury by blending the orange and the 
blue, the latter being then regarded by 
some as the Irish flag. 

He asserts the emerald green stand- 
ard was used In Ireland in the six- 
teenth century, but it was not till the 
eighteenth century that it became the 
national color. 



THE Catholic Truth Society has 
issued three new publications. 
They are: "No vena to St Pat- 
rick," by the Very Rev. Arthur Ryan. 
P. P., Tipperary; "St Senan and Scat- 
tery," by his Honor Judge Carton, 
M.R.I.A.. K.C., and "Nellie Donovan's 
Trial," by Miss Mary Maher. 

Judge Carton tells us that in writing 
"St Senan and Scattery" his purpose 
was to carry out the suggestion made 
to him by the late Miss Margaret 
Stokes, the gifted and earnest Irish 
scholar and antiquary, and to give a 
modern version of the life of St. Senan 
as it is told in the Book of Llsmore. 

A short time before her death Miss 
Stokes, it appears, wrote him a letter 
in which she stated that she often 
wished some writer like himself would 
extract from the mass of her brother's 
(Dr. Whitley Stokes) writings, trans- 
lations into simple English of the 
legends abounding in them, and sug- 
gesting the story of St Senan. 

The Book of Llsmore, Judge Carton 
explains, is a manuscript belonging to 
the Duke of Devonshire, which was 
found in Llsmore Castle in 1814 in a 
walled-up passage by some workmen 
employed in making repairs. It was 
lying along with a crozier in a wooden 
box; and it contains the lives of the 
nine ancient Irish saints translated by 
Dr. Whitley Stokes, of whom St Senan 
is one. 

All that is known of its previous his- 
tory, it seems, is that it was compiled 
from the lost manuscript of Monaster- 
bolce and other manuscripts in the lat- 
ter half of the fifteenth century for 
M'Carthy Reagh and his wife, Cather- 
ine, daughter of Thomas, eighth Earl 
of Desmond, and that in 1629 it was in 
the hands of Michael O'Clery, one of 
the Four Masters. 

Judge Carton has admirably per- 
formed a task, and has given us an in- 
structive narrative, beautifully written 
and beautifully illustrated, which will 
make the life of a great Irish, saint, 
and the picturesque locality in which 
he lived and labored, and the character 
of that ancient period of our history 
better and more widely ^l^n^js^pj^an 
they have hitherto been. 



.lyj^^l^a 



May, J903, 



THE GAEL. 

The Joker's Corner, 




"A little nonsenfie now and then 
Is relished by the wisest men." 



RBMOVABLB MAGISTRATE (iras- 
cibly—Sir, you are trj^ng to 
show your contempt for the 
CJourt 

Defendant's Ck)unsel — On the con- 
trary, I am trying my level best to 
conceal it. 



LORD SPENCER has finally come 
to the conclusion that the con- 
duct of the Irish M. P.'s in ap- 
plauding the disasters to British arms 
during the Boer War was reprehen- 
sible. The decision is all the more 
valuable in that it is not a hasty one. 



THE other day, not far from Bol- 
ton, two men were fighting, 
Lancashire style, and the small- 
er of the two was getting the better of 
the fight, when the bigger man called 
out to the onlookers: "Why don't you 
stop us, chaps? Gorn't yo see that I'm 
too big for him?" 

SCENE: Parade Ground. Squad of 
soldiers marching about after a 
hard morning — men dead beat. 
Captain, Now, my lads, smarten 
up— double! 

Sandy (aside to Pat)— To the de'il 
with doublin'. 

Pat (Indignantly)— An' to the hot 
place wid Glasgow, then! 



AWOE-BEGONE specimen of the 
tramp tribe made a call at a 
rural residence the other day 
to ask for aid. The door was opened 
by an impersonation of Hood's "mas- 
culine lady in curls/' a female of an- 
gular proportions, severe demeanor, 
and uncertain age and temper. 

She said: "I shall not give you any- 
thing. If you had been wise you would 
not have come here. Do you know 
who I am?" 

The weary wanderer said he did not. 

"Well, I am a policeman's wife, and 
if he were in he would take you." 

The tired tourist gazed at her a mo- 
ment from head to toe and replied: "I 
believe you, ma'am. If he took you 
he'd take anybody." 

'Twas well for him he had two sec- 
onds' start in the race. 



BETTY HORAN, of Thrummon, Co. 
Donegal, was a very pious old 
Methodist. Father Dan often 
dropped into Betty's for a gossip. 

"Betty," said Father Dan, "I always 
find you stuck In your Bible. Now, tell 
me truly, do you understand it all?" 
"Of course I do," Indignantly. 
"Well, well. I've been studying it 
all my life, and I don't understand it 
all yet" 

"An' if yer reverence is a blockhead, 
do ye think every wan else like yer- 
self?" 



MR. MACREADT'S autumn tour in 
the West of Ireland was fruit- 
ful of interesting incidents and 
amusing stories. He tells the follow- 
ing in connection with the local salt 
water baths at Lahlnch, Co. Clare: 

"The shower bath was very popular 
at first, but a little incident that hap- 
pened soon after the opening of the 
baths has rather discounted their pop- 
ularity with the fair sex. 

"A lady stopping at the Golfers' 
Hotel was indulging in a salt water 
bath, but when she gave the signal, 
instead of the water descending, she 
heard a gruff fisherman's 'voice over- 
head saying: 'If ye'll move a little 
more to the wesht, ma'am, ye'll get 
the full benefit of the shower,' and, 
lopking up, she saw a man peering 
down a small aperture in the ceiling, 
through which he was about to pour 
the barrel of sea water, which stood 
ready in the loft above. 

"Whether she moved to the west, or 
whether that shower ever fell, history 
does not relate. The baths have been 
since brought more up-to-date." 



A MERCHANT in a small town in 
Kerry found, when counting his 
day's sales money one evening, 
that he had got a bad half-crown. 
Highly enraged he determined to dis- 
pose of it as soon as possible. 

Next day, when walking at a dis- 
tance from his shop, he saw a young 
fellow who was considered the village 
fool. Going up to him the merchant 
gave him the bad half-crown, and 
said: "Here, Jimmy, get an ounce of 
tobacco tor that and bring me the 
change, but you may keep the to- 
bacco." 

The merchant told him to get the 
tobacco at a rival's shop. Jimmy soon 
came back, having the tobacco and the 
change. The merchant was elated at 
his success. "How short you were, 
Jim?" he said. "Did you get it at the 
shop I told you?" "Oh no," said Jim, 
"I Just passed it In at your own shop; 
it was nearer." 



IN times gone by in Ireland the Pro- 
testant minister collected tithes in 
the harvest, while the Catholic 
priest got in his stipends at Christmas. 
Fr. Edward and the Rev. Sandy Mont- 
gomery were one day riding together, 
in their usual friendly way, through 
Inver, and bantering each other about 
their callings. 

"Here's the Bacach Ruadh" said 
Father Edward; "let us have his opin- 
ion." 

The Bacach Ruadh (or Red Beggar- 
man) was an arrant knave, too clever 
to work whilst he could live upon the 
fat of the land without. 

"Shawn," said Father Edward to 
him, "if you had a son, would you 
sooner make a priest or a minister of 
him?" 

"If I had a son, yer reverences, I 
should have him a ministher in the 
Harvest an' a priest at Chrissmas." 



JEREMIAH KELLER was a famous 
Irish wit and barrister of the last 
decades of the eighteenth centui^y 
and the early decades of the nine- 
teenth. Both Moore and Keller came 
into collision, though under widely 
different circumstances, with John 
FitzGibbon, Earl of Clare— "Black 
Jack" as he was called — the lord chan- 
cellor of the union. 

Moore was examined before Lord 
Clare, as chancellor of the University 
of Dublin, on the visitation held in 
April, 1798, to inquire into the exist- 
ence of treasonable associations in the 
college, and narrowly escaped expul- 
sion. 

To Jeremiah Keller, Lord Clare, both 
at the bar and on the bench, had the 
aversion felt instinctively by a mean 
and treacherous nature. 

Keller's powers of repartee were il- 
lustrated at the time of Lord Clare's 
death. "The lord chancellor," said a 
friend, "will be burled the day after 
to-morrow." "Dead chancellors," said 
Keller, "are usually buried." "The 
bar will attend the funeral in a body. 
Will you go?" "No." said Keller, "I 
will not go to Lord Clare's funeral, but 
I approve of it." 



142 



THE GAEL. 



May, J903* 




Shane O'Neill's Letter to the Lord Deputy* 



Transiated by T. O'Neill RusseU. 




iftHE following interesting 
letter In the Irish lan- 
guage from the cele- 
brated but unfortunate 
Shane O'Neill to the 
then Lord Lieutenant 
of Ireland has never 
been correctly translated. 
A photograph of it, and a very incor- 
rect transliteration and translation of 
it may be seen in "The National 
Manuscripts of Ireland," the original 
is in the British Museum, London. 

The Irish of the letter is hardly at 
all different from tiie Irish of the pres- 
ent day, except for the archaic spelling 
cf some words; but in spite of the 
modern form of the language in which 
the letter is written, it is aboui as 
tough a piece of Irish as could well be 
found to translate correctly owing to 
its total want of punctuation and the 
many and unusual contractions with 
which it abounds. 

The transliteration and translation 
of it in the National Manuscripts of 
Ireland are very incorrect. I will 
not guarantee that the following 
version of it is absolutely correct for 
there are a few words in it which, 
owing to the contracted forms in which 
they are written, and the partial de- 
facement of some of the letters, are 
very hard to make out. Of the dozen 
or more letters which Shane O'Neill 
says he wrote to the Deputy, or Jus- 
ticiary, there seems to be but two of 
them preserved, namely, the following 
one and another which may be seen 
in the "Fior-Chairsearch na h-Eire- 
ann," published by Scaly, Bryers and 
Walker some four years ago. 

It does not seem to be known wheth- 
er the following letter is in the hand- 
writing of Shane himself, or his secre- 
tary; but experts seem to think that 
the signature is in a different hand 
from that of the letter, and that the 
former is really Shane's writing. 

It would appear that it was the Earl 
of Sussex, who was Lord Deputy in 
1561, and to whom Shane wrote the let- 
ter; but whenever Sussex went to Eng- 
land cither the Earl of Kildare or Sir 
W. PitzwiUiam used to act as Deputy, 
and it is not easy to find out which of 
them was in office in 1561, when Shane 
wrote the following letter: 

Shane was one of the most un- 
fortunate of the O'Neills. The great 
mistake of his life was his wanton at- 



tack on the Cineal Connaill, as the 
O'Donnels and the people of Donegal 
were then called. It was with great 
truth he was called ''Seann an diomuis" 
or Shane of Pride. He could not brook 
any rival in Ulster, and aspired to be 
king of the whole province; hence 
his hatred of the O'Donnells, and his 
consequent ruin. 

According to the State Papers, Shane 
had an army of 5,000 foot and about 
1,000 horse. Sussex made many com- 
plaints against him, but never gained 
a victory over him, but suffered many 
defeats. Shane's pride is made appar- 
ent by what Sir Henry Sydney (the 
deputy who succeeded Sussex) said of 
Shane: ''I believe Lucifer was never 
puffed up with more pride and ambit- 
ion than O'Neill is. He says of his 
attack on us, "If it were to do again 
I would do it for my ancestors were 
Kings of Ulster, and Ulster was theirs, 
and Ulster is mine, and shall be 
mine." 

Sidney seems to have been in great 
terror of Shane, for he wrote to the 
Elarl of Leicester saying, "O'Neill con- 
tinually keepeth 600 armed men. He 
is able to bring to the field 1,000 horse- 
men and 4,000 footmen; he hath al- 
ready in Dundrum (Ck). Down), as I am 
credibly advertised, 200 tuns of wine, 
and much more he looketh for; he is 
the only strong man in Ireland; his 
country was never so rich or so inhab- 
ited; he armeth and weapone4^ all the 
peasants of his country, the first that 
ever so did of an Irishman; he hath 
agents continually in the Courts of 
Scotland, and with divers potentates 
of the Irish Scots; he is able if he will, 
to bum and spoil to Dublin gates and 
go away unf ought" 

But great a man as Shane O'Neill un- 
doubtedly was. he had many faults, and 
his greatest fault was his ambition. 
He wanted to be supreme lord of Ulster; 
he was jealous of the Cineal Connalll, 
or O'Donnells, knowing that they were 
the only Irish of the province who 
would oppose his absolute power and 
sway in 'it He therefore attacked 
them In an apparently most wanton 
manner, ana without any just cause. 
In the year 1567, but was defeated by 
them, and his army almost annihilated 
himself barely escaping. The Four Mas- 
ters say that he lost 1.300 men, that 
there there were multitudes drowned 
in the fiight across the river S willy, 



and that some stated that his entire 
loss was over 3,000 men. 

After Shane's defeat by the Cineal 
Connalll, he sought refuge among the 
Scotch of Antrim. They had been for 
a long time friends and allies of Shane, 
and he seems to have invited them to 
make settlements in Antrim; for in 
thosedaysthe Scotch, both hi^landers 
and lowlanders, were allies and friends 
of the Irish, and both the O'Neills and 
O'Donnells were seldom without Scotch 
— mostly Highlanders — fighting under 
them against the English. But Shane 
had maltreated the Scotch. He feared 
they were getting to be too powerful 
and shortly before his defeat by the 
O'Donnells he had attacked them, 
defeated them and captured their two 
principel leaders. Those were the 
"friends" to whom Shane fled after 
his defeat by the Cineal Connalll. It 
is hardly to be wondered at that they 
killed him. He was hacked to pieces 
by the Scotch, and we are told that his 
body, wrapped in a kern's old shirt, 
was thrown into a pit near the place 
of his assassination. The English had 
offered a rew&rd of 1,000 marks a 
mark was 13s 4d) for his head, and 
£500 "to him who shall kill him," 
though he bring neither head nor 
bodie." The last sentence is copied 
from the State Papers. 

Shane's head was sent "pickled in a 
pipkin" to Sidney, who was then dep- 
uty. It was Captain Wm. Piers, an 
English officer. Governor of Carrickfer- 
gus, who sent Shane's head to Dublin 
and got the reward. It is said in the 
life of Shane in the National Biography 
that his head was seen stuck on a pike 
over Dublin Castle in 1571. It was the 
barbarism of this act that inspired the 
author of the magnificient poem, 
"Shane's Head." Sussex, the English 
Deputy, tried England's often used 
plan of getting rid of her enemies, 
for he tried to bribe some of Shane's 
people to assassinate him. This fact 
ts stated openly in Shane's life in the 
National Biography. 

It would appear that Shane got the 
loan of the money asked by him in the 
following letter, for he visited Queen 
Elizabeth in London in 1562, when he 
is said by English authorities to have 
publicly submitted to her; but this 
statement must be taken as entire- 
ly unproved, and comes from a very 
unreliable source/^hiuie^ was accom- 
Digitized by V^tJiJ 



May, J903. 

panied to London by a bodyguard of 
his gallow-glasses, and created a great 
Bensation among the Cockneys of the 
period. The grand mistake of Shane's 
life was his attack on tíie Clneal Con- 
naill; it was it that ruined him: and 
it was the same international quarrel- 

Shane^s Letter* 



THE GAEU 

ing that ruined the political past of his 
country. 

It is very curious that the O'Neills 
of all the Irish claims, should be the 
only ones that seem to have adopted 
the English Christian name, John; for 
Seaghan or Seann, as it is spelled by 



143 

"The Four Masters." is generally and 
apparently rightly, allowed to be an 
Irish form of John. A Seann O'Neill 
is mentioned by "The Four Masters" as 
early as the year 1339. The following 
is the Irish text and translation of 
Shane's letter to the Deputy; 



Translation* 




e-ATTOAÓC Ó UAtiéilLTJocum ati luipuif m^it -otijeAf fé 
Ajuf t)o<í:um TiA cot)A eite Too'n Com-aiple; Ajuf acámtí 
^5 A piAfipuije -óíob c|tét) t)o-|iinTie me -oo t)i[x)]t)0 
jtAóax» Ati-eAf-otiói|i no a r\r>\^X)Áil -oo'n beArnttoJAin, 

no -ÓAOlbre, Af A|t bpife/kb^Mft 0|tm 5-An ^ACA, JAtl AT>bA|1, 

I Aguf CAittSpn 5AbAtu«r -DO x)etiAni optn, jAti jioUa 

5Atl tlCltt t)0 ÓUjl CUJAlfl Ó t)0 CAnjAbAltl A t1-et|t1tlTl ; 
AJUf ATI lUlf Clf "OO pÁ5AbA1|l 1t1 bUft n-IOMAX) A tl-ei|ttTin, 

50 |iAbAmúiT)«e tifiiAt x>ó ; Aguf TiAC |iAibe "OO fiiAitif oftm jAti mo 
peA|ifA pen t)o "oot a bpiA-ónuife St'Áf tia bAnitiojnA, Aér An 
inéix» 5u|i ctii|i me ia|1|iai^ ai|i focAniAt AijtjiT) A|t An mbAn^ioi;- 
Ain, A|i fon nAÓ imijiCAnn Ai|i3e-o nA h-e|teAnn, a SAXAnoib; 
A3Uf 5U|i ^ujiÁit me mo bttÁije 5itt fen "oo cu|t |ttf An mnthtif 
fin no 50 bf itlinn fen Af SAXAnoib. 

-A^uf Af Í fo An bfAije jtll, .1. An mAc if fCAfft -oom éloinn, 
Ajuf mo T>eAfbcomAtr;A, .1. mAc m'oiTje, Ajuf mo buime 
Ajuf mo b|iArAif : Ajuf 1AT) fin -DO óu|t A njiott jvefuin 
bi5 AinjiT), Af nAC bfiffin-o mo JcaIIa toá mbeint) jAn 
mo jcAlt f If ; Ajuf 5uf cuif me mo VAoine fen Ajuf -oAome An 
luifcif t)'Á At-iAffAi-ó fin A n5iott Aif nA bfAijoibpn a jceAnn 
nA bAnfti^DA ; A5Uf An «Aif -oo f Aoilemuf fin -oo tcACc cujAinn 
fc btif [-oJceAccfA A n-eifinn, ni h-AmtAi-ó fin-oo fiiTOCAbAifp, 
Acr An [ni-ó] nAf f AoiteAmAf -oo -oenAm -ÓAoib ; Ajuf -OAf n-oóij 
T)0 ctjif CAmtif A -oeió no a too ■óéj "oo ticf eACAib a jceAn-o An 
luifrif vo bi A n-eifinn ó-oo ímjeAbAiffi; fóf, Aguf rujrAf nA 
tiCfCACA fin T>otAtAin; A5uf cuifimfi fiA^nufe 'Oé A^uf nA 
liUfCAéA fin ofm; A5Uf fiA"ónuife An méi-o toijef uf co5Uf "oo 
T>enAm t)o'n ChoThAiftle, nAC mAitif no mAinneAccnAit)e fot)eAf a 
T}Avn 5An -oot a bf lA-ónuife 5f Af nA bAnfiojnA ^of tuf AfCA, Acr 
Tjit An innmuif pn no 50 mbef ex) f e oftAinT) ; Ajtif acá An cét> 
inncinx) "oo bi A5Am juf ccfAfCA Anoif AgAm um x>ut a jceAnn 
nA bAnfiosnA, acc An méiT) coipnifj xto cuif eAbAif p ofm 50 

h-Anoif CeAf , .1. JAbAlcUf -00 CUf Am -ÓtJCAl-Ó JAn AX)bAf ; UAlf An 

f Ax> biAf en mAC SAf Anoij Am tif "oom neAthtoit, ni cuif fe me 
fei-óiu5A-ó no reACCAifCAci; cujAib o'n uAifp AmAé, acc mo 
6of Aoit) "OO éuf [Af] f lije eLe a jccAnx» nA bAnf io'jha -da inipn 
•Di mA|t -oo cuif cAbAif p An roif mcAfc fin of m ; Ajuf xyo úénA 
me mo xnóeAll Af An mbA]iT)A pn Ajuf Af jac -ouine -oÁ 5cuif fe 
Ann lAT), no 50 mbef CAf Af iat) ; A5Uf mÁ cÁ a f uin A5oib 5AII 
motoifmcAfc ni if mo, beif ix) mo muincif cujAib, mÁ'f roil te 
buf n-onóif é, A5Uf x>o •óénf a Ia fib mAf if cÁoifse beifCAf f}h 
mo muinncif cujaiV) t)o Cf iocnu5A-ó 5AC jeAltcA A5Uf jac Cf 1- 
aIIa "DA ru5 me -oon bAnfio5Ain. 

^5uf bio-ó A ■oeiniin A5.Mb nAÓ -o'eAjlA cosai-o no jeAÍt me nA 
ceAn-o A f oirhe, aó a n^ioLt Af a h-onóif A5Uf Af a 5f Af Aib bo 
éúmx)A6 5A6 neic -oÁ bf uit AjAm "OAm, Ajuf t)om mexDuJA-o ó fO 
fUAf innuf 50 rcujAint) nA cif ca fiAX)AnrA acá f um, t)o cum 
pbélcoif Ajuf -oo cum mAitif; Ajuf innuf 50 CAicm-o me fen 
^5"r 5^^ x)uine t)Á mbiA Am -óiaiJ, f e f ef bif Ajuf f e h-onóíf ha 
bAnf ignA Ajuf An f CAtimAncAij biAf a n-eif inn UAite. ^-Xjuf 
bux» fef f-oe eif e taite mo -óulf a a jceAn-o nA bAinf ijnA, "oo toil 
X)é ; tiAif ni biAix> A n-eif inn en Tjuine t)o cuif f ex) f Aobnof bej 
no móf Af A f eAX>mAnncAC, Af a fCAf AmA-ó fe [An] f Aobnof t*" 
X)o éumACUAib X)é A5Uf x)'AoncA ( ?) nA bAnf ojnA Ajuf X)o'n 
cfCf bif x)o X)énAimne x)'Á f ex>mAnrAC. ni beg pn ; acc jui-ómix» 
fib 5a6 fun Ajuf jac ff eA5f a biAf A^Aib Aif pn, -oo éuf éujAm 
5An mAilif, Aguf 5An ni if mo x>o -óenAm of m no 30 cuja \*\t) 
fjélA, A5Uf CAifbénAix) mo licf baca x)o mAicib nA CoiiiAif le, 

mise o'néilt. 



A BLESSING from O'Neill to the JusUciary, as in duty 
bound, and to the rest of the Council, and I am ask- 
Ing of them what have I done that would go to the 
dishonor or to the injury of the Queen or to you, on ac- 
count of which you have, since your arrival in Ireland, 
broken in on mo without reason or cause, trying to make 
conquest on me without sending a messenger or a letter; 
for we were obedient to the Justiciary whom you left in 
your place in Ireland; and, inasmuch as it was not malice 
that prevented me from appearing in my proper person be- 
fore her grace, the Queen, but that I asked for a small sum 
of money from the Queen, because the money of Ireland 
does not pass current in England. 

1 ^^^ I offered to give up my own hostages for this money 
loan until I should return from England; and these hostages 
would be, namely, the best sons of my children, and my fos- 
ter-brother, namely, the son of my tutor, and my nurse, and 
my brother, and these to put in pledge tor a small sum of 
money; for I would not break my promise if I had not given 
and pledge; and I sent my own people and the people of the 
Justiciary to request this again of the Queen for a pledge; 
and when I thought that loan would come to us on your 
coming to Ireland, it was not so you acted, but the thing we 
did not imagine was wnat you did; and indeed we sent ten 
or twelve letters to the Justiciary that was in Ireland since 
you left; also these letters were presented; and I put the 
witness of God and these letters (as testimony) for me 
and also the witness of the amount I conecientiously tried 
to do for the Council, to show that it was not malice or 
negligence that was the cause of my not going in the pres- 
ence of her grace the Queen up to the present time, but 
want of that money until it would reach us. 

And the first intention which I then had of visiting the 
Queen I have still, but for the amount of obstruction ye put 
on me wantonly— namely, making conquest in my country 
without cause; for as long as there shall be one son of an 
Englishman in my country against my will, I will not send 
settlement or messenger to you from that time forward, but 
will send my complaint by another way to the Queen, telling 
her how ye put that hindrance on me; and I will do my best 
(to rout or kill) those soldiers (the men that had been sent 
to make conquest in his country), and on everyone who will 
send them there, until they are taken out of it; and if ye 
desire not to obstruct me any more, take my people (that is, 
the hostages) to you, if it please your honor, and I will ap- 
point a day with you as soon as you take my people to you 
to fulfil every promise and every proposal I made to the 
Queen. 

And be ye assured that it was not for fear of war 
that I promised her previously (that I would visit her), but 
on account of her honor and her gracioueness to preserve 
everything I possess for me, and to Increase me hencefor- 
ward, in order that I may bring the wild countries that are 
under me to civilization and goodness; and in order that 
I myself and every person who shall be after me, may be de- 
voted to the service and honor of the Queen and the Deputy 
who shall be (sent) from her to Ireland. And all Ireland 
would be the better of my going to visit the Queen, with 
the will of God, for there will not be any person in Ireland 
who would put little or much of offence on her Deputy, for 
he would bear that offence by the powers of God and the 
consent (?) of tlie Queen, and by the service that we do to 
her Deputy. This is a good deal; but we beseech you to 
send me every secret and every answer which ye shall have 
without malice, and not to do any more (evil) to me until 
ye bring news, and until ye show my letters to the chief 
men of the Council.— I am ^^ O'NEILL. 

Digitized by V3OOQ IC 



Atl SAOtlxM. 




sóAmtis rtiAC seAUAitu do scnfot). 



TiÁ* ÓUItt A l6ÓtéAf fÓp » t>' líoTlCAlb, 

*0'éif tiA 5CÁ]tÚA6 tif lAiceAniAil, t>f íonuAé, 
puAip ceAniiAr pox>lAi 5cotióin ó'n x)íliti«. 

"Oo CU1C pnúir 50 -oubAC jati pjAOileAX), 
Ájn 5Ati AifeA5 if mAllAéc ah Cfintip|t, 
-Aift UAiftib gAO^Al, mo téAn -oA ti-x)ío5A^, 
yÁ ftnAéu 5aII jAn pAbAjt A|t bitinre. 

ní jtAib AjAinn A ii5|tAX>Am x>c'n lítie, 

ITlAH CÚl T)AOftA ACC péA^tlA Atl AOll-énif, 

-Acu "OonncAX) mAcCo|iniAic An |tío5-ftAit, 
buinneÁn f uAijtc 3An 5|tuAim 1 «' ínncin. 

|rlÓr tlA jCÁjtCAC blÁt tlA bufÓTie, 
ptAnn-OA ccATinÁjixj potlÁiti píojt-jtic, 
to6|iAn foÍAir 5An óojAt, 5AT1 coiiriceAf, 
nÁ'|i' éeACAjttA cÁil A "OcAbAiitne An ^ ioda. 

Laoc tonnjiAe mA|t tÚ5Ai^ nA j-citAOipeAé, 
Uó mA|t OfCAft A "o-cof AC nA bui-óne, 
nó mA|t ^icitl "oo c]teAp5Ai|t nA wílce, 
1 5-CAt nA C|tÁi5 tug Á|t nÁ"|t coimpeAe. 

nio|* rjtéine ConAtl A5 lomAfó le f Aoite, 
TIÁ ClAnn Uipnij bAT> niinic f a óomncinn, 
nÁ "OiAitmAiT) meA|t piAl Ó "Ouibne, 
nÁ mo cu|iAx> Cúlt>uix)e St^íofjuib. 

lÁih copAnrAé nA m-bo|tbcon -oo fCftíocA, 
piolói|i nA'|t' "oeAiióit 1 n-ío|i5uit, 
C|iAnn bAjAift Aifi "ÓAnAiitib bíox)bA, 
t1Á'|i' téi5 A ccAjtc te ncAÍ: "OÁ AÍji'oe. 

ieÓ5An CAtmA, fCAit-OA, p»ocihA|i, 

UéAlCAn fOLAip A1|t pOfDA nÁ'p' b*íf*^^f 
ÓonjbAI^CA-Ó ^tlAJAll le CftlACA T)ÍOmA1f, 

if tAOC|iA^ 5^^^ S^ f Ann pÁ •ÚAOi|ife. 

"Oa n-x>éAnf Ainn mAócnAfii A|t fCAfiAib nA 

ItlOJAéUA. 

1 5-CÁ1I I bpcAjtf Ain, 1 niAife 'f 1 mm c|itit, 
níbfAJAinn f AOfi-f ÍAir u|téAn nÁ CAoifCAO, 
t>A"ó c|tóiÓA tAfh 'nÁ fiÁíb An Aoit-énif. 



mo ^íc, mo t)eACAi|t nÁc mA^ib "oo r|tít cú, 
-AmeAf5 nA f^ój nó 1 5-coni|iAc f Aoite, 
'S nÁ6 ftAib Iao6 fÁ'n Jt^éin fAn rímóeAtt, 
"OÁ n-jeitlpeAX» "OonnOA-o Aif eotj nÁ Ai|f 
cftAoifeAé. 

tlioft b'iongnA^ "OonneA-o beiú bo|tb r\A 

jnioTnAjiCAib, 
CoileÁn c]téAn -oe p|iéim flioéc míleAió, 
A'f SeÁn nA fUjtrAinge 'f fhui|iif An cfíoT)A 

'S ÓO|tmA1C lAl-Dlft Á|1f A1"Ó f íjl-jllC. 

t^igcib ÓAifil 'f CAtAic béitínfe, 
RÁib nA SAipS© "oo rS^SA-o 50 "OÍiteAÍ:, 
bpÁtAi|t c^iéAn nA tAoc An íomA-ó, 

'S 'ÓÓThnAltl UlAbAlj CjtlAC nA TO-CÍO|ltA. 

tií c|tuA5 le h-Át nA cjiÁnAé coiihcije, 
mo buinne buA-ÓAÓ ^ua'0|ia6 ríp-jlic, 
nÁ'|t' fCAon 1 3CAC I Toc|ieAf nÁi 5-coinieAf- 

1 5-Cllt-ÓUé 50 f Aon Ia5 f ínce, 

If mó|t An u-éAÓr 1 néi|iinn píoit-jlAif, 
mo 5liAX)Ai|tectimArAC u|if AnÁ'jt' clAoiT>ce, 
"OÁ f UAT>AC 5An cuAÍtACc 'n A tímceAlt, 
'S 5An Acc feireA|i,f An leijtg "OÁ coinroeAÓc. 

AcÁ^x} fAoite CAitib|ieAá ufteAfSAfCA 

clAoix)ce, 
Since 1 njlAf Ai5 nó mA|tb fÁ tíojAib, 
inA|i nÁ'ft' cuAtÁ"ó An uAilt 50 níiTineAé, 
ó'n OileÁn mó|i 50 Ctoie-nA-gCotltceA-o. 

CÁ múf5|tAoi'óe An r-fmÁit fÁ bfÁCA 1 n- 

■oAoí|tre, 
5An écAnn c|teói|i,5An c|ieón, jAn CAOtpeAÓ 
ITlAti nÁ'|i' r50'^^eA'0A|i cIoca 'guf coiltce, 
Ctim An n-"oftoiceAx> 'f 1 jCoftcAtj nA flím 

bAjtC. 

CÁ njAib mnÁ nA m-bAn njlAC míonÍA P 
tlÁé ^Aib 1 "o'pocAiit-fe AcobAf 5An ^'rS*» 
"Oo euiitpcA-o te h-éifeAÓc "oo gAotcA f íof 

•DtJIC, 

Ai|t 5Aé CAob t)o'n p|iéiiTi ó Afi f ínif . 



CÁ bAite ^o'ÓA nA f éAT) 5 An AOibneAf , 
'S bei^ An óto6-|teó 50 b^ionAe clAoróce, 
Cnoc-An-bite 50 pnjil ^a "ÓAOiitfe, 
'S An CAifteÁn mójt a|i bfiuAé nA bfijoe. 

A ÓAoim tic Jtiiftm ó éotfjif nA f AO»te, 
"Do ^éim ní cloiftm, nío|i rS^^^^T» ^^op 
éfíonAif, 

6 tÁ|ttA COttmAC f 01|tClt 'f A "Oif lílAC, 

*S péAfilA An BjtoltAij jit "OonncA^ uaói5 
teAC. 

T)o Jeim to6 téin jAn bftéij te "oíojitAp, 
'S "oo éuAiT> An teAtiiAinn 50 f Ann 1 nt)íf5e, 
tlíofi f An t>eó|i te bpon fAn Iaoi jit, 
tlÁ fAn iAbAin-fhói|i bA"ó 5|tUAmcA tíoncAá. 

Cik An c-Stúif 5An bfAon acc CféAn ^it 

rAOi'oe, 
An f eoifi 'f An ttlAij 'n a T)C|tÁi5 'f An Aoin 

ne, 
StonnAn nA f |ieAb jAn tAÓc 'n a cíoéAib, 
gAn cnuAf, 5An "ouitte, jAn potAf, jAn 

fio-obA-D. 

Ctuimm tiAitt A5 ftuAijuib fíj-bAn, 
A^p 5Aé mAot-énoc AefiAÓ, Aoibinn, 

buiniT) f UAim 50 XJÚAIf c Af tíojAib, 

Ó ÓtuAin-TTleAtA 50 CAtA'ó-pofic f Aoi'oe. 

If Acui|ifeAá b|tónA6 -©'fojAif Ctío-ónA, 
'S Aoibitt ÓA15 "00 bÁf 5An f ígneAf, 
Áinc 6úm|iA An cúit CAif éíotiCA, 
5|iÁinne, SAmb, meATob 'f ^oif e- 

t)Áf nA tAOCjiAX» léijeAnncA, tíomcA, 
CeAttAcÁin ÓAipt nA n-*OAnAf tjo xn'bifc, 
Oittit' Ottjim, eoJAin, A'f CAOttce, 
"O'f Á5 "OonnéA-ó jAn f o6|iaix> tionthAf. 

"OÁ mAi|tf CAT» moJA 'f Conn nA b-f íof-éAt, 
b|iiAn nA f |iót-b|tAC bófoime 'f CftíomtAn, 
CofiniAC mAC tú;^A^^T>o f uAifi |ctú nA T>t 

^'"^m^eo by VJ O O Q I ' (^*^^^- 

"Oo beix>íf z\ién Cfiuip éAfjÁm 1' •o'cím- 



May, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



145 



6 -o éA5 All ftAit x>Á'|t óeAjtc, 
*S iDÓjtÁii 61 te T1ÁC cui|tim I'm' tAotribj 
ScAbAC i\A ttoAj -oA'tt -ouaI beic cinnre, 
'Do ÓAit jAti f péip An f AOJAt 50 p'LeAC. 

Ciof tlA SACfAn 'f A1|1 fCAlbAlj tAOIfeAC, 

Ó|t tiA SpÁine 'f plÁcA ATI !mpi|te, 

"Oa mbciT>eA"ó tia f eilb A|t leiftj a f infCAft 

ni x>éAnf AX> CAtfje jati cAireAiri te cijcAf 

WA1C. 
CeAfJAI-Ó tlA bflAlt A|t fCA^ tlA tt'OSAéCA, 

"OonnOA-o Ati Óóit f An uifi 50 clAoi'óce, 
SAoiubpCACAC CAtt 50 pAnn fAn imp|ieAcr, 
ÚU5 mo t|tiAir jaw óIíai|i x>á eoiiiroeACc, 
^Aol An lAftÍA AniAjt ó'n Infe, 
'S lAjitA CuA^-tfluiTiAn nA f luAg bA-ó tíon* 

niA|t, 
lAfttA |*eAnAiT)e ÓAllAine Y ^t^íS"^©» 
-d'f 1a|iLa 5Aft)A Cilt'-'OA|iA -oob' AÍfl'Oe. 
^Aot An lAjitA Ó SciAr nA Laoi cú, 
'S An lAfilA "OA éuAi^ "oe é«Ai|tc CAfi coinn- 

ihuip, 

lAfiÍA Anctitum feAbAC nA fAoiteA^, 

'S lA^tA bAI^-pAC nA f^AbAl JAn f5AOlteA^. 

•Do t)y "DO jAot te fAO|i-ptAit pAoixDe, 
te h-eoÓAi-ó tonn -oo bponn An T^mn-jiofj, 
te CÍ5eA|inAAn OtAi^ 5ATI ctÁf te nAÍtnt)ib, 
te X)óninAtt c|tó-ÓA 'f te moft-ptAit óinn- 
Cui|ic. 

b|tÁtAi|i 5|tÁT>iTiA|i áeÁ^Ain puAi|t pínfe, 
A'r áeÁjAin jAnenuA-OAf ó ÓttiAin-An-fíonA 
áeÁ^Ain •0|toniA nA b-f AttAftAé scíojitA 
Oo^mAic SpAinij 'f éeA;gAin nA f AOtreA-ó. 

jAot An TliT)itte éumAf Ai J -f inn cú, 
'S tli"oitie-An-5teAnA t)o teASA-ó f An c]tínfe 
^n Uit>itie uAfAitó étiAn nA bf AoiteÁn, 
'S An m-onte tttém "oo pf éim fUoéz íte. 

ni't ní tiÁ p|tionnf A, 'Diúc nÁ Uíocoianr, 
'0*uAiftib SACfAn nÁ -oe ihAitib nA jtíjAÍrA 
gAn A n-jAot, jAn bftéij f Á tfií tcAC, 
'S A jctnt) f otA *n A ffiotAib I "D'oiioiTie JeAt 

SeAéc 5céAT> "oéAj 5 An bjiéij A'f r|iíocAT), 
A'p nAOi m-btiA'ónA An ^iiAJAit T>í[teAC, 
Aoif itiic "Oéi "oo jtéifi 5AÓ fcjtíbinn, 
Atji éun "OonncA-OA 1 bf otA|iAi5 f AOin-f tiuó. 

^n ce^n^iSLt. 

mo -ooitbeAf An fonA-bite nA'f* fCÁn 1 

tn-bntiijin, 
tAm éorAncAé 1 ii-50ti|iA-Joit t)0 fikt^^ij 

llAOIf, 

50 cotiírA|itA f Á Jontm tie ai|1 tÁ|i jAn bttíj 
tionn-A-o niAC Co|iniAic T)o*n ÓÁfitpuit 

AÍ|1T0. 

puit ói|tx>eAtic Sijt CojimAiCT)© fÁif jcatí 

ttlí*D, 

puit CofimAC mic "OonncA-OA -oo ctAOi^oeA-o 

CAfi cuinn, 
putt CofimAic iTitc ÓotiniAic bAf> -óÁnA a n- 

jníoiTi, 
'S nA 5Co|imAC T>ob'pottAf t)Am -oo'n ÓAftc 

fUlt Alflt). 

SeAbAC foitbi|t nA n50]im-|tof5 T)ob' Áitte 

í:|ioi-óe, 
ptAnn-OA óifi"óenic nA'p' jopAijeAÓ 1 t)rÁb- 

Aijtne "Díje, 
C|iAnn cof jAiiCAÍ! nA m-boftb éon 1 mbeA|in- 

«Ain bAoJAit, 
*S Á^bA|i -DQitbif jAn ocuA|i f oi|i nA x)eÁ5 

fAn c-rtíje. 



Gtisadc Against ^* The Stage 
Irishman ^\ 

.^H jrcPADDBN'S Row of Flats" is 
♦*|\/| the title of a stage produc- 

*^* tion which has been touring 
the United States and Canada for a 
couple of years past. It is a musical 
farce which at first sight seems frivol- 
ous enough but which has in reality a 
deeper significance. The characters 
represent the lowest type of Irish and 
the men are "made up" with ape-like 
faces surrounded by green wliiskers, 
while the women are pictured as in- 
expressably vulgar in language and 
demeanor, smoking dhudeens, etc. A 
pig is a member of the family and ap- 
pears on the stage, also a donkey. The 
dialogue is as vulgar and low as the 
appearance of the characters, and the 
entire play was an abomination to 
every clean-minded person, no matter 
what their nationality might be. 

The production of this play and the 
appearance of the colored posters an- 
nouncing it have been extremely ob- 
jectionable to patriotic Irishmen and 
women in this city. 

It appeared to them that the Ameri- 
can people as well as American citi- 
zens of other nationalities are liable 
to get incorrect impressions of Irish 
home life from seeing distorted and 
libelous misrepresentations of our peo- 
ple in such disgusting plays as "Mc- 
Padden's Row of Flats," and that an 
irreparable injury is done us by such 
vile caricatures. 

In this city and in Philadelphia the 
play was hissed and the actors rotten- 
egged off the stage by large organized 
bodies of men consisting of members 
of the Gaelic League, the Ancient Or- 
der of Hibernians and the Clan-na- 
Gael. 

As a result the play has been "toned 
down" and most of the objectionable 
parts eliminated. 

A number of the egg-throwers were 
arrested in this city and also in Phila- 
delphia, but were subsequently dis- 
charged unpunished. The newspapers 
made much fun out of the occurrence, 
but all without exception sympathized 
with the raiders. 

In New York it happened that some 
of the eggs thrown on the stage had 
been unsuccessfully hatched at some 
previous time and were full of gas and 
other things. When thrown those eggs 
exploded with a loud noise which gave 
rise to the report that the Clan-na-Gael 
were throwing hand grenades. 

It would not be correct to say there 
was nothing in the report, for its odor 
pervaded the atmosphere and accom- 
panied the actors (?) when they ran 
off th'^ stase. 

The New York "Irish World" is en- 
thusiastic in support of this movement 
of protest It says: ^^ 

"The stage Irishman has been a 
standing insult to the Irish race for a 
generation and more. And it is to the 
discredit of the race that he has been 
permitted to go so long in his brutal 
caricature. 



"But to-day, thanks to the Gaelic 
League and the United Irish League 
and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 
a spirit of self-respect has been infused 
into the young men of Irish blood 
which asserts its life In action and 
which, if only persisted in, is bound to 
sweep into the cesspool of contempt 
those filthy wretches who are doing 
England's work in the caricature guise 
in which our common enemy would 
have all Irishmen appear to the world 
as their true selves. 

"The men who are engaged in this 
work of driving the stage Irishman 
off the boards are not rowdies. They 
are gentlemen. They are good citi- 
zens. They are impelled to enter upon 
this work in the spirit of crusad^ers. 
They feel that the outrage has gone 
on long enough, and they are resolved 
to put an end to it God speed them!" 

A correspondent of the "New York 
Sun" remarks: 

"This protest of the Irish people 
against the degrading of themselves 
and their race on the stage is not a 
mushroom growth of to-day or yester- 
day. At home in Ireland this move- 
ment has long since matured, and 
there the people have already driven 
from the public stage the disgusting 
and degrading caricatures imported 
from England and elsewhere; and the 
movement of the Irish here is but the 
continuation and spreading of that 
movement to end once for all what 
they consider a grave injustice." 

The "Kansas City Journal," on tne 
other hand, is full of regret at the 
thoui^t that the stage Irishman may 
be banished from the boards. It com- 
ments: 

"The Irish are caricatured oftener, 
perhaps, than any other race, but if 
they would stop to think, they would 
see that people always like and never 
despise the stage and cartoon Irish- 
man. Does anybody imagine that the 
world has less regard for the Irish 
since Mr. Dunne created 'Mr. Dooley'? 
Nobody ever despised Dooley and no- 
body ever disliked him, except, pos- 
sibly, the interesting old Chicago sa- 
loonkeeper after whom he was pat- 
terned. 

In reply to the foregoing we would 
say the "Kansas City Journal" com- 
pletely misunderstands the situation. 
Irishmen do not object to honest cari- 
cature or clean dialect humor of the 
Peter Dooley Dunne type, they enjoy 
it and see and appreciate the points 
quicker than anyone else, but they em- 
phatically object to vile caricature in 
which they are pictured as living in 
the same apartment with pigs and 
where Irish women are represented as 
habitually using vile and obscene lan- 
guage, which is not a trait of our race. 

Irish people themselves know that 
our women are not addicted to the vul- 
garities attributed to them in "Mc- 
Fadden," and the play would not 
worry them were it not for the evil 
and misleading effect it is having on 
the American people and others who 
have not had opportunity to know tiie 
Irish ^ 

Digiti: 



noi naa opporiunuy xo Kni 
)igitized by V^OOQIC 



146 



THE GAEL. 



May, Í903. 




Irish Literary Society* London* 




, E are in receipt of the 
Annual General Re- 
port of the Irish Lit- 
erary Society, London, 
for 1902, from which 
we learn the member- 
ship has shown a 
steady increase, the 
figures being for 1900, 482 members; 
1901, 502 members; 1902, 525 members. 

The secretary complains that many 
members are dilatory in paying their 
dues. 

The worst consequence of the irreg- 
ularity in payment (which leaves the 
Society with a balance for the year 
only of some £50 of income over neces- 
sary expenditure) is that it prevents 
the Society from publicly justifying its 
existence by the issue of Transactions. 
And in the absence of such publica- 
tion, country members (who number 
close on 100) are left with no privi- 
leges except when they visit London. 

The Committee are so sensible of 
this that they have determined to em- 
bark upon the production of a volume 
of Readings in Irish history, which 
will be distributed free of charge to 
country members. 

The volume will be made up as fol- 
lows: General Butler's lecture on 
"Cromwell in Ireland"; Mr. Wilson's 
paper on "The Reign of Charles II.", 
with a supplement specially written 
treating of the Adminstration of Tyr- 
connell; Mr. Gwynn's paper on "Sars- 
field"; Mr. Mangan's prize essay on 
the "Sieges of Derry and Limerick"; 
and Miss Murray's paper on the period 
from the Treaty of Limerick to 1775. 

It may be said confidently that the 
volume will not only do credit to the 
Society, but will be a contribution of 
permanent value to Irish History. It 
will be Issued to town members on ap- 
plication at trade price, which will not 
exceed 4s., and may be under 3s. Mem- 
bers willing to subscribe for copies are 
requested to apply at once to the sec- 
retary, as a good subscription list 
would greatly facilitate arrangements. 

The publication of the Petrle Collec- 
tion Is nearly completed, two parts 
being Issued, and the third, which will 
contain an index to the whole, being 
in the press. 

Irish classes have been held in the 
Society's Rooms. First, a class for the 
advanced students reading the Mun- 
ster Poets. On the discontinuance of 
this a beginners' class was formed, 
which at present meets at 5.30 P. M. 
on Wednesdays, and is three or four 
times more largely attended than the 



similar classes held at St. Ermin's 
Hotel. 

Three very pleasant house dinners 
have been held at the Cafe Florence, 
with an average attendance of about 
forty-six. The respective chairmen 
were: Mr. Hagberg Wright, Mr. 
Stephen Gwynn and Mr. Roland Mc- 
Neill. 

IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY. 

This Society continues to increase in 
numbers. The first volume of Keat- 
ing's "History of Ireland," edited by 
Mr. David Comyn, M. R. I. A., was is- 
sued to members in 1902; and the first 
portion of the collection of Ossianlc 
Poems known as the "Duanalre 
Fhinn," edited by Mr. John McNeill, 
B. A., is now passing through the 
press. 

The following works are In course of 
preparation for the Society: 

The second volume of Keating's 
"History of Ireland," to be edited by 
Mr. David CJomyn. 

"The Flight of the Earls," a con- 
temporary account of that event, writ- 
ten by Telgue O'Keenan, an associate 
of the Eiarls in their filght to Rome; 
to be edited by Miss Agnes O'Farrelly. 

"Romance of Fergus MacLeide," to 
be edited by Mr. Patrick MacSweeney. 

"The Leabhar Gabhala," or Book of 
Invasions, to be edited by Mr. R. A. S. 
Macalister. 

The attention of the Council has 
been much occupied by arrangements 
in connection with their "Irish Dic- 
tionary," which is being compiled and 
edited under their auspices by Rev. P. 
S. Dinneen, M. A., and by the effort to 
raise funds for its completion. 

A sum of £200 was raised privately, 
partly as a loan and partly in dona- 
tions by members of the Council and 
their friends, to defray the expenses of 
the first year's outlay, but it is found 
that a further sum of £350 to £400 is 
absolutely necessary if the work is to 
be carried out in a satisfactory man- 
ner. 

Archbishop Walsh having offered to 
contribute £20 to the work if the re- 
maining £380 can be raised within six 
months' time from the date of his 
offer, the Council earnestly hope that 
through the generosity of friends they 
may be placed in a position to avail 
themselves of his Grace's promise. 
Two sums of £20 have already been of- 
fered in response to the appeal. 

The subscription price to the Dic- 
tionary Is fixed at 5s., and Mr. Nutt is 
now prepared to receive the names of 



subscribers for copies of the work, 
which will be issued at the end of tlie 
year. 

All communications to be addressed 
to the Hon. Secretary, Irish Texts So- 
ciety, 20 Hanover Square, London, W. 



The Farmer and the States- 
man» 

THOSE who imagine the irisli 
farmer has a fair chance may be 
interested in knowing the fol- 
lowing facts: 

To deliver a ton of eggs from the 
banks of the Boyne to Leeds, in Eng- 
land, costs more than ninety shill- 
ings. 

To take a ton of eggs from St. 
Petersburg to Leeds costs less than 
thirty shillings, and from the south 
of France less than twenty shillings 
a ton. 

A member of the British govern- 
ment, Mr. Shaw-Lefevre, was traveling 
in Ireland. Mr. Shaw-Lefevre is a 
benevolent, conscientious man, and it 
was his intention, if possible, to 
awaken the Irish peasants to the error 
of their ways, from the point of view 
of political economy. Wherever he 
went he had the latest reports from 
the London Times, showing the mar- 
ket value of eggs, chickens, pigs, etc., 
and he always impressed on the peas- 
ants the value of enterprise. 

He found one old Irishman sitting 
beside a small pool of water, watching 
some chickens on the bank and some 
ducks on the water. This conversa- 
tion took place: 

"My good man, what do you do with 
those chickens?" 

"Eat them," said the Irishman. 

"What do you do with the ducks 
and with the eggs?" 

"Eat them, too." 

"But let me read you the price of 
eggs, chickens and ducks in London 
this morning, and you will see how 
prosperous you would be if you would 
sell In the big city the things you 
raise." 

"Do you see that pool of water?" 
said the Irishman. "Well I suppose if 
I had that pool of water in hell I could 
get any amount of money for it The 
trouble Is to get it there." 

Mr. Shaw-Lefevre is now an ardent 
advocate of reduced railroad transpor- 
tation rates In Ireland. 

Don*! faU to prooor* Mes. WnisLOWi Soonnrc 
Stbvp for jomr Ohlldr«B whU« euUlof t6«tli. It 
•ootiiM tk« ehUd, lofUni tk« gmMi allAin all palm, 
•«TM wind ooUe, éná - - - 

**-*~- ,itized by^ 



tani tk« gmMi allain all pala 
a<V^Tr th« bMt mm9új f« 

/vJiOOgTe 



May, »903. 



THE GAEL. 



Í47 




A Song of Defeat 

By Stephen Gwynn» 



NOT for the lucky warriors, 
— TDe winner at Waterloo, 
Or him of a newer name, 
Whom loud-voiced triumphs acclaim 
Victor against the few: — 
Not for these, O Eire, 
I build in my heart to-day 
The lay of your sons and you. 

I call to your mind to-day. 
Out of the mists of the past. 
Many a hull and many a mast 
Black in the bight of the Bay 
Over against Ben Edair; 
And the lip of the ebbing tideway all 
Red with the life of Gael and Gall, 
And the Danes in a headlong 

slaughter sent; 
— ^And the women of Eire keening 
For Brian, slain at his tent. 

Mother, O gray sad mother, 

Iiove, with the troubled eyes. 

For whom I marshal to-day 

The sad and splendia array, 

Galling the lost to arise. 

— ^As some Queen's courtier unbidden 

Might fetch her gems to the sun, 

Praislnir the glory and glow 

Of all that was hers to show — 

Eire, love Brian well. 

For Brian fought, and he fell; 

But Brian fought, and he won: 

God! that was long ago! 

Nearer and dearer to you 

Eire, Eire mo hhron 

(List to a name of your own, 

sweet name. My sorrow!) 

Are the suns that flamed and faded 
In a night that had no morrow. 

1 call to your mind Red Hugh, 
And the Castle's broken ward. 
I call to your mind O'Neill 

And the flght at the Yellow Ford— 



— ^And the ships afloat on the main, 

Bearmg O'Donnell to Spain, 

For the flame of his quick and leaping 
soul 

To be quenched in a venomed bowl; 

—And the shore by the Swilly's shad- 
ows. 

And the Earls pushed out through the 
foam, 

And O'Neill in his grave-clothes lying 

With the wish of his heart in Ireland, 

And his body cold in Rome. 

I call to your mind Benburb 
And the stubborn Ulster steel, 
And the triumph of Owen Roe: 
Clonmel, and the glorious stand 
Of the younger Hugh O'Neill: 
— And Owen dead at Derry 
And Cromwell loosed on the land. 

I call to your mind brave barsfield, 
And the battle in Limerick street. 
The mine and the shattered wall. 
And the battered breach held good. 
And William full in retreat; 
— ^Ánd, at the end of all, 
Wild Geese rising on clamorous wing 
To follow the flight of an alien king. 
And the hard won treaty broke 
And the elder faith oppressed. 
And the blood — bux not for Ireland — 
Red upon Sarsfleld's breast 



Ended the roll of the great 
And famous leaders of armies, 
The shining lamps of the Gael, 
Who wrestled a while with fate 
And broke the battle on foemen. 
Ere the end left widowed Eire 
Lone with her desolate wail. 



Lone, yet unforsaken: 
Out of no far dim pasA 



Call I the names of the last 
Who strove and suffered for Eire 
Saddest and nearest of all. 
See how they flock to the call. 
The troop of the famous felons; 
Who won no joy of the sword. 
Who tasted of no reward 
But the faint-flushed dawn of a wan 

sick hope 
And over whose lives there dangled 
Ever the shame of the rope. 

I call to your mind Lord Edward; 

Tone with his mangled throat; 

Emmet high on the gallows; 

O'Brien, Mitchel and Meagher— 

Aye, and of newer note 

Names that Eire will not forget. 

Though some have faded in far-off 
lands 

And some have passed by the hang- 
man's hands. 

And some — are breathing yet 



Not for these, O Eire, 

Not for these, or thee. 

Pipers, trumpeters, blaring loud. 

The throbbing drums and the colors 

flying, 
And the long drawn muflled roar of 

the crowd 
The voice of a human sea; 
Theirs it is to inherit 
Fame of a flner grace, 
In the self-renewing spirit. 
Ana the untameable heart. 
Ever defeated, yet undefeated. 
Of thy remembering race 
For their names are treasured apart. 
And their memories green and sweet. 
On every hillside, and every mart, 
In every cabin, in every street. 
Of a land where to fail is more than 

to triumph. 
And victory less than defeat^ 



148 



THE GAEL» 



May, Í903. 





SHE night on which Ai- 
deen, daughter of the 
high king, was born 
there was a terrific bat- 
tle of winds around and 
over the great Dun. 
Within the hall of 
thunder of many hards 
and fierce war-songs were chanted un- 
til the shields and spears upon the 
walls jangled and clashed as with the 
din of battle. 

Suddenly a great stillness fell upon 
the assembly, and out of the heart of 
it came a strain of music so strange, 
so sweet and delicate that it seemed 
no louder than the thoughts which 
sometimes move the human heart to 
sadness or to Joy. In that moment 
each man saw as in a vision his own 
soul. 

The music had lingered but a few 
moments on the air when it faded out 
softly into the silence whence it came. 
Then heavy tears rolled down from the 
eyes of the high king, Eocha, and 
many there present, and fell upon the 
ground. In that hour Aideen the beau- 
tiful was born in the Dun of the high 
queen. 

She was the seventh of the Hlgh- 
King's children and lovelier than any 
other child in all Erin, but she was 
dumb. Dearer was she to the hearts 
of her parents than any of her broth- 
ers and sisters, and dearer she became 
to them with every year of her growth 
until she passed from childhood to 
maidenhood. Then the thought of her 
dumbness became heavy on the heart 
of Eocha the High-King and it grieved 
him that the thoughts of her heart 
should never pass her beautiful lips 
to break in melody upon his ear. 
He commanded his Druids and sages 
— ^- work their spells, and seek from 
stores of wisdom, power to give 



Bpeech to thi* tongue of Aideen. Great 
and woDdcrful were the rewards he 
promised them should they succeed. 

But they worked their spells and ex- 
hausted their stores of wisdom in vain. 
Aiden the beautiful remained dumb, 
and could not be cured. 

At this time there was at the court of 
Eocha a young knight named Aodh. 
For strength and beauty there was not 
his like to be found in all the land of 
the Gael. The eyes in his head were 
piercing and tender and on his mouth 
of beauty there was ever a smile. 

Terrible was he in battle in his aw- 
ful height, his noble head standing 
high above all others in the warring 
host and his sword of might like 
lightning flashing blinding rays in the 
eyes of the enemies of the High-King 
as he harried them off the field, come- 
ly ana gentle, in time of peace, he had 
found favor in the eyes of Aideen. His 
charge it was to keep guard over the 
White Dun in which she dwelt with 
her women attendants. 

Music was the one great pleasure in 
Aideen's life of silence, and in that was 
Aodh well skilled. He had a little 
five-stringed oniath, and in time of 
peace he would lie on the green sward 
outside the Dun gently plucking the 
strings. Then the music wedded with 
his voice of power and sweetness 
would float love-laden up to the ears 
of Aideen. 

At that her great shadowy eyes 
would melt and glow, and bending her 
lovely head lest her women should no- 
tice, she would veil her blushes in the 
mantle of hair that rolled down to her 
small feet in waves of yellow light. 

In the hall of banquets they often 
met, and the eyes of Aodh would 
scarcely leave her face until her hour 
for retiring. Then he, too, would leave 
the hall, proud of his office as chief 
guard of the White Dun. 

Long after the Druids and sages had 
ceased to work their spells on Aideen 
in the vain hope of curing her dumb- 
ness a strange harper came to the 
court. 



He was made welcome for his fame 
was widespread. Weird and wild was 
his appearance, and he carried a 
strangely-fashioned hal-p. He was 
summoned to the hall of banquets and 
bidden to play for the pleasure of the 
princess. 

She fixed her soft eyes upon him ex- 
pectantly and he played. It was a 
strain of love that the strings breathed 
forth, and her eyes glowed and spark- 
led and dwelt half-timidly upon Aodh 
the knight. 

Then the air changed and told a tale 
of hate and vengeance. At this Al- 
deen's eyes grew frightened, her cheek 
paled and she fell swooning to the 
ground. Then Aodh came swiftly and 
bore her in his arms to her women in 
the White Dun. 

In the confusion the harper slipped 
away. Lying on his bed of dried ferns 
that night he thought of many things 
and he said exultingly: 

"I have found that which for years 
I have sought, a soul that is music. 
No longer need I wander from court to 
court, dependant on the pleasure of the 
great. Now at last shall I be a king 
among harpers." 

With that he closed his eyes and 
slept. One hour before dawn he rose 
and taking his harp he went forth. 
Standing under the great White Dun 
where Aideen lay sleeping he softly 
touched the brazen harp strings and a 
sound arose like the murmur of many 
little streams. 

Hearing It Aodh the knight, who was 
on guard, swayed and fell down where 
he stood In a deep slumber, and the 
guards of tae Inner court also fell Into 
the same sleep. 

Then the harper entered the Dun. 
On her royal couch lay the High- 
King's daughter sleeping, and the 
glory of her hair made a gold light In 
the room. 

The harper stood over her and again 



May, I903^ 



THE GAEU 



Í49 



lie touched the strings. The sound 
was softer, and more delicate than ever 
mortal ears had heard. Closer and 
closer he came, touching the strings 
and singing a strange wi.^ song of un- 
earthly beauty, and opening her eyes 
she listened half-sleeping, and yet 
drinking in the music with eagerness. 
Gradually the music and singing be- 
came fainter and at last it ceased. 
Then a great white cloud filled the 
room, wrapping the princess from the 
sight of the harper, and, exhausted, he 
swooned away. 

When he awoke Aideen was no long- 
er there, but in the red dawn-light, 
upon the royal couch there stood a fair 
white harp with strings of shining 
£:old. Trembling with ecstacy and tri- 
umph he slung it upon his shoulder. 
In doing so his fingers touched the 
strings and a wailing sweetness arose 
from them, whose echoes sounded 
lingeringly around the walls of the 
White Dun long after the strange 
harper had gone upon his way. 

There was bitter woe and sorrowful 
wailing in the court of Eocha the 
High-King when it was found that Ai- 
deen had disappeared. Aodh and the 
other guards had been found sleeping 
and no man could wake them. Fran- 
tic with rage and grief the High-King 
ordered them to be burned alive, and 
the slumber still on them; but his 
advisers declared that it would not be 
lawful to put them to death without 
^ trial, and they slept where they had 
^ fallen for seven days and seven nights. 
While they slept the king sent his 
Chief Druid and a great body of armed 
men to search through all the land for 
the harper, who had disappeared. The 
thought was in every mind that he it 
I was who had stolen the princess. 
I After many days they returned un- 

j successful having found neither harp- 
I er nor princess. Neither did they meet 
man or woman who had seen them. 

When Aodh and his companions had 
awakened from the magic slumber 
they were bound and brought before 
the High-King and his judges. 

Harsh and bitterly reproachful were 
the words of Eocha to Aodh the knight 
as he commanded him to give an ac- 
count of what had happened the night 
the princess had disappeared. Then 
Aodh spoke and the bitterness of his 
sorrow was fearful to behold, and he 
^ told how in the dark hour before dawn 
, he had seen a tall figure coming to- 
wards him afar oft, and how he had 
waited until it should come closer, 
without moving, then he heard the 
music and remembered no more. 

At this he bowed his noble head and 

wept. The others had but the same 

story to tell, and they waited with 

^ heads bent low in shame to hear their 

sentence from Eocha. 

And that sentence was banishment 
forever from their native hills and the 
court of the High-King. Then Aodh 
lifted up his voice and spoke for his 
companions begging forgiveness for 
them. He alone was to blame, he said, 
he was chief guard and he had failed 
In his duty, he alone should be punish- 
ed. And he vowed an awful vow to 
seek for the harper, through the length 



and breadth of the land, and to wreak 
upon him a terrible vengeance. 

And he also vowed in the presence 
of Eocha and his court that even 
though his body be hacked into small 
pieces his soul should not leave it until 
he had found and brought back Aideen. 
And because of his great might and 
prowess formerly in battle, and because 
of the noble way he had spoken, and 
perhaps, because he was still dear to 
Eocha, his prayer was heard, and his 
companions were set tree, and permit- 
ted to remain. Then he was unbound 
and they gave him his shield and his 
spears and his sword, that was named 
lightning, and also the little harp he 
loved. And he went forth upon his 
quest. 

Who can tell what were the thoughts 
of his burning brain and sorrowful 
heart as he Journeyed through the 
lonely mountain passes seeking ven- 
geance? Did his soul hear afar oft 
through the mists the mournful wail- 
ing of his lost Aideen, who had at last 
found speech? 

Certain is it that for many years he 
Journeyed up and down through Ire- 
land from court to court seeking ever 
for those he could not find. And at 
last he came to be known as the mad 
knight of the harp. 

One night he slept in a cave on the 
side of the Mountain of Swords and he 
had a dream. He dreamed that he saw 
the weird strange harper about to 
throw Aideen into a deep lake as if to 
drown her, and she stretched out her 
arms and her beautiful lips parted say- 
ing: "Aodh, come to me." Then he 
awoke. 

The next morning he crossed the 
waters to Alba, for the lake of his 
dream was in that country. It was 
called the Lake of Tears, and upon its 
lonely brink the mystic harper had 
made his dwelling. 

There was no harper in the whole 
world like to him and no harp to equal 
his beautiful white harp with strings 
of gold had ever been seen or heard. 
But of late he had not been sought for 
and courted as before for the sadness 
of his music had drawn the life out of 
many hearts and they died. 

Try as he would his beautiful white 
harp would only breathe strains that 
told of love and death. Daily the music 
grew more beautiful and deadly. This 
was a sign that the spirit that was 
alive in the harp was about to pass 
away, and the harper knew it, so he 
determined to go in the darkness of 
night and hurl It into the deep Lake 
of Tears, for when the soul should pass 
out he knew that the harp should re- 
sume the bodily shape of Aideen the 
princess. 

Should that ever happen and mortal 
eyes behold the body his doom was up- 
on him In that hour. The night-birds 
heard his thoughts and carried them 
in a dream to the brain of Aodh the 
knigbt as he lay sleeping on the Moun- 
tain of Swords. 

One night the harper gave a ifreat 
banquet in his castle by the Lake of 
Tears and many princes and nobles 
were present. In the midst of the 
revelry Egbar the Red-eyed asked him 



to play for them on his beautiful white 
harp. Many times he refused fearing 
the vengeance of the nobles should 
death follow the music, but at last he 
was forced to comply. Then he com- 
manded a servant to bring the white 
harp to the banquet hall. 

At that moment there arose a great 
clamor at the end of the hall where 
the humbler classes were seated, and 
the harper sent with angry words to 
find the cause of the tumult. Then 
the steward came and told the harper 
and his guests that a beggar had forced 
his way into the hall and claimed to 
be the greatest harper in the world so 
they had sought to drive him forth, 
but he was strong and would not go. 

''Bring him hither," said the harper, 
"he will serve to amuse my patrons." 
And they brought him. 

He came and stood before them all, a 
great wild looking man whose matted 
locks fell down over his face almost 
concealing his features. But his eyes 
glowed like red fire when he looked on 
the harper. 

"Play us a strain of love," said Eg- 
bar the Red-eyed, contemptuously. 

Then the beggar man drew a small 
harp from under his ragged cloak and 
began to play. At that moment a ser- 
vant brought in the white harp to the 
hail of banquets. But still the beggar 
played on and noted it not. The mem- 
ory of Aideen enwrapped his soul and 
the tones of his harp were clear and 
sweet and tender, and great was the 
applause when he had ended. Then the 
harper wild with Jealousy that a 
strange beggerman should be praised 
thus in his presence, seized the white 
harp and swept the golden strings with 
his long, slim fingers. 

The wailing sweetness that came 
forth was so unendurable that many 
there present swayed and fell down, 
and the life went out of them. 

But Aodh, for he it was who ap- 
peared in the guise of a beggar-man, 
stood up and listened and drew near 
and nearer with every note, for was 
not Aideen there somewhere, and her 
soul was speaking to his. Then the 
wailing ended and the harper held the 
white harp towards Aodh and he said 
with icy scorn: 

"Do thou try thy well-skilled fingers 
on this." 

And Aodh took it as in a dream, and 
softly he touched the strings of shin- 
ing gold. Suddenly such a gush of 
Joyful sounu came from the harp that 
all hearts beat madly with the plea- 
sure of being alive and happy. In a 
kind of rapture Aodh played on and 
love and tears and laughter were 
blended in the music until with a lit- 
tle sobbing wail it suddenly ceased. 
His fingers swept the strings but they 
were dumb. 

Then the harp fell from his fingers 
to the ground, and a great white cloud 
filled all the room and hid it from his 
sight. Yet through the dazzling haze 
he clearly saw the harper with evil 
smile and drawn sword stealing to- 
wards him. 

"At last, mine enemy, at last," said 
Aodn, and drawing his sword that was 
called lightning he fell upon him. And 



150 



THE GAEL. 



May, Í903. 



there they fought over the white harp 
in the cloud-filled room of enchant- 
ment among the spellbound living and 
the stiffening bodies of the dead. 

The red dawn was breaking through 
the casements when the cloud lifted 
and it showed many dead men and 
many more in an enchanted slumber 
in the hall of banquets. 

Covered with wounds the harper lay 
in a corner — (j|£ad. Beside him lay 
Aodh the knight and he was dying, but 
Aideen tne princess held him to her 
heart and her lips were -on his hair. 
There was now sweet speech upon her 
lips, but death was in her eyes. "Aodh, 
my beloved," she murmured, "wake, 
for it is Aideen who calls you/' And 
he opened his glazing eyes and looked 
upon her. 

Then the love that is stronger than 
death animated him and he rose and 
knelt before her. 

"I have sought and found you, O 
princess," he said, "let us journey 
home, for I have fulfilled my vow." 

"Yes," said Aideen, "let us go to- 
gether." And she gave him her hand. 
Thus hand in hand but swaying and 
tottering they went forth. When they 
came to the green sward outside they 
fell down silently and their souls went 
out together to where there is always 
music. 

And the birds of Angus singing soft- 
ly circled over and around them in the 
air. 



The Irish Land Bill. 

NEARLY all Irish thoughts and in- 
terests are now concentrated on 
the bill introduced on the 25th 
of March by Chief Secretary Wynd- 
ham. 

The object of the measure is to offer 
such pecuniary inducements to land- 
lords to sell and to tenants to buy as 
will bring about a wholesale, or very 
large, transfer of ownership without 
actual compulsion. So far as the land- 
lords are concerned, this has been 
done. 

Whereas the selling price of land- 
lords' estates in the best of times was 
on an average not more than twenty- 
three years' purchase of the rental, 
and for the last twenty years about 
seventeen years' purchase, the price 
which the bill proposes will be from 
twenty years' purchase for the worst 
class of estates to nearly thirty-three 
years' for the best. 

Hitherto, landlord sellers have been 
paid in 2% per cent stock, worth before 
the South African war 113, but now 
only worth 90. Under the bill they 
will be paid in cash. 

The money required is estimated to 
amount to about one hundred million 
pounds sterling, and is to be raised by 
the issue of stock carrying 2% per 
cent Interest for thirty years, after 
which it will be redeemable at par. 

The payment of the interest on the 
stock will be secured 

(1) By the annuities payable by ten- 
ant purchasers; 

(2) By various grants which are now 
made from the Exchequer in aid of 



local taxation, for the support of luna- 
tics, police, and for educational pur- 
poses; 

(3) By the local rates, which the 
Lord Lieutenant can order to be in- 
creased in case of any loss by default 
in payment of the land-purchase an- 
nuities. 

Mr. Wyndham anticipates that it 
will take fifteen years to issue the 
whole amount of purchase money; 
and as there will be an immediate loss 
on the issue at a discount of the 2%. 
per cent stock, the fund made imme- 
diately liable for that loss is a yearly 
grant of £185,000 for educational pur- 
poses — a grant made to balance a sim- 
ilar one arranged last year for Great 
Britain. 

It was hoped that the now well- 
ascertained and almost universally ad- 
mitted overtaxation of Ireland might 
have been a sufficient reason for 
throwing the expenses and losses in 
carrying out this great reform on the 
shoulders of the whole body of the 
United Kingdom taxpayers; but that 
is not to be so. 

The British rule is, that Ireland is 
not a separate financial entity when it 
is a question of increased taxation for 
British purposes, but that she is. and 
must bear the entire cost, when it is a 
question of expenditure on Irish na- 
tional objects. 

The British Treasury claimed, when 
the overtaxation of Ireland was dem- 
onstrated to the Financial Relations 
Commission, that their expenditure in 
Ireland, pronounced wasteful and de- 
moralizing, should be taken as a set- 
off. Mr. Wyndham announced that 
savings made in Irish administration 
during the last few years amounted to 
£440,000, and that he hoped to effect 
very much larger savings; but no in- 
tention of allocating these savings to 
Irish purposes was intimated. 

The British Treasury must win, and 
will win largely, over this business. 

Now for the tenant purchaser's posi- 
tion. Hitherto he had agreed to buy 
for a lump sum, which he usually 
reckoned at so many years' purchase 
of his rent. He could repay this by 
paying an annuity of 4 per cent on 
the price for forty-two and one-half 
years; or he might have this annuity 
reduced by 10 or 12 per cent at the end 
of each of the first three decades, and 
then continue paying 2^ per cent on 
the original loan until seventy-two 
years had elapsed from the date of his 
purchase; or he might pay oft the 
whole or any part of the loan at any 
time. When he bought he became full 
and absolute owner of his farm. He 
was proprietor a coelo usque ad inferos. 

That is not to be so under the Land 
Bill. No purchaser will become abso- 
lute owner, nor is he to agree to buy 
ior any known sum. He must agree to 
buy for an annuity which is not to be 
less than 10 per cent or more than 40 
per cent below his existing rent; 
seven-eighths of this annuity will be 
terminable in sixty-eight and one-half 
years, and one-eighth is to remain a 
perpetual charge on the land. 

Mines, minerals, rights of shooting, 
hunting and fishing do not pass to the 



purchaser, but are to remain the prop- 
erty of the state— i. e., at present, the 
Treasury. 

The purchaser will not become the 
owner; he will be a state tenant, with 
a right to use the surface of the land 
for farming purposes only, and with- 
out power to explore or develop ita 
mineral resources if they exist 

If a tenant wants to know what 
price he is paying for this limited own- 
ership, he must divide the annuity he 
has agreed on with his landlord into 
two parts, and multiply one-eighth of 
the annuity by 36.36 and seven-eighths 
by 30.7. 

The selling landlord will get in addi- 
tion a bonus of from 15 per cent on the 
purchase money of estates not exceed- 
ing £5,000 capital value, to 5 per cent 
on estates where the total price ex- 
ceeds £40,000. The purchasing tenant 
cannot be said to pay this bonus, ex- 
cept so far as he contributes to it as a 
taxpayer. 

Another provision in relief of the 
landlords is that they may sell their 
demesnes and home farms to the 
state, and then re-annuity of 3^ per 
cent for sixty-nine years; but in these 
cases the mines, minerals and sport- 
ing rights do not vest in the state. 

The owners will retain full owner- 
ship; they can buy oft any rent 
charges they are now subject to for 
twenty years' purchase, and, by paying 
off mortgages on which the interest 
would usually be from 4^ to 6 per 
cent, they materially increase their in- 
come at the expense of the public. 

The entire bonus expected to be 
given to the landlords during the next 
fifteen years is estimated at about 
twelve millions. There are some ex- 
cellent and unobjectionable provisions 
In the bill for expediting the investi- 
gation of landlords' titles and the dis- 
tribution of the purchase money. Red 
tape and lawyers' cobwebs are swept 
away if the administrators act in the 
spirit in which these clauses are con- 
ceived. 

Looking at the measure as a whole, 
it is not fair as between landlord and 
tenant. It gives the landlord far more 
than the value of his estate, and does 
not give the tenant the full ownership 
that he desires to have, nor adequate 
consideration for what he will have to 
pay. It is unfair between Great Bri- 
tain and Ireland, for it puts an un- 
necessarily heavy charge on the Irish 
taxpayer for a reform from which 
England will derive not only a large 
benefit, but a profit 

It is questionable whether the ten- 
ants will be very anxious to buy on 
the terms offered. They will see the 
general unfairness of the terms, but 
they may be driven to accept whatever 
alleviation of their present burdens is 
obtainable, as a hungry man might 
pay a shilling for a loaf when he knew 
the fair price should be fourpence. 



AT the Spring show of the County 
Cork Agricultural Society, King 
Edward carried off the first two 
prizes in the Short-horn class for the 
best pure-bred bull and heifer caKea 



May, 1903. 



THE GAEL» 



151 





Historic Points of Interest Near Dublin* 



ITHIN easy reach of 
Dublin and 'So close as 
to be included in a one 
day's expedition, lies a 
series of interesting 
architectural and anti- 
quarian studies, one at least of which is 
too little known to the average Dublin 
citizen. The names of Kilbarrack and 
St. Fintans are, to be sure, borne in 
on his mind by their appearance on 
the tram tickets of the electric service 
which now engirdles old Ben-Edar, 
but we wonder how many of the 
crowds who throng the hill in the 
Summer months have ever visited or 
have ever heard of the existence of the 
great Howth cromleac, the reputed 
"'Aideen's Grave," on which Ferguson 



has written his beautiful poem which 
reproduces so admirably the atmos- 
phere of the Hill he knew and loved 
so well. 

The first of these — Kilbarrack — ^the 
Church of Berach, a disciple of St 
Kevins, is rather bleakly situated on 
the sea shore before one reaches the 
promontory of Howth, and except for 
some circular and pointed arches, pre- 
sents no very striking architectural 
features. 

Here, however, is still pointed out 
the grave of the notorious Higgins, the 
"Sham Squire," the proprietor of the 
"Freeman's Journal" during the Re- 
bellion of '98, and who was buried here 
in 1804. The small broken stump at 
the extreme left of the photograph is 



now all that is left of a ponderous 
tabular tomb which recorded in the 
most extravagant language the emi- 
nent merits of the deceased. The pop- 
ular opinion of the man, judging from 
the destruction of the monument, 
seems to have been strangely different 
and Mr. Fitzpa trick even doubts 
whether the corpse itself had escaped 
similar kind attentions at the hands of 
medical body-snatchers. Nearby, too, 
is the grave of Margaret Lawless, 
mother of the patriot peer Lord Clon- 
curry. 

Continuing our Journey to Howth 
and ascending the main street we come 
to St. Mary's Abbey, said to have been 
originally erected early in the eleventh 
century by Sitryg the Dane, but en- 




REMAINS OP HOWTH ABBBY, CO. DUBLIN. 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



152 



THE GAEL. 



May, J903. 




RUINS AT KILBARRACK. 



larged and considerably altered by 
Archbishop Luke in 1235, when the 
prebendal church — dating from the 
sixth century — was removed from Ire- 
land's Eye (Inis-Ereann) to the main- 
land. The style — pointed Gothic — is 
rare in County Dublin. 

''It had in its perfect state a double 
roof, supported at each end by pointed 
gables and each division of the church 
had an eastern window. The larger 
one consists of three compartments di- 
vided by mullions, the two extreme 
ones are trefoiled at the top and the 
eenter division rises in the pointed 
form above an archway which seems 
to have been a later addition. The 
window of the back aisle is also di- 
vided into three compartments, the 
center one rising the highest though 
all their tops are circular. There are 
two entrances by Grothic pointed 
arches — one at the south side which 
had formerly been a porch, into the 
body of the church, and the other at 
the west end into the back aisle. A 
flat embattled belfry with pointed 
arches for three bells springs from the 
gable at the western extremity oppo- 
site the great window. These bells are 
still preserved at Howth Castle. 

Further west on the other side of 
the Hill are the ruins of a little ora- 
tory known as St. Fintan's church. It 
is extremely small — only twelve feet 
in length by about eight in breadth, 
with a disproportionately sized belfry 
at one end over a pointed arch en- 
trance. The eastern window forms a 
mde cinque-foiled arch. Within Its 
shadow now rest the remains of Miss 
Margaret Stokes, who in her life did so 
much to systematize the study of Irish 
architecture. 

The Cromleac is situated about one- 
fourth mile from St Fintan's, In the 
demesne of Lord Howth, at the base 
of the cliff called Muck Rock, from 
which the Immense quartzite blocks 
forming it had become detached. The 



table or rooflng-stone lies east by west 
and measures seventeen feet in length 
by twelve in breadth and is six feet 
thick. Its circumference from point to 
point round the edge is 66 feet and its 
girth 45. This enormous weight esti- 
mated at 70 tons, has forced the sup- 
porting stones to give way to some ex- 
tent, inclining them in an eastward di- 
rection and breaking one of them in 
two. The rooflng-stone did not come 
to the ground, however, being arrested 
by the fractured stump.* The crom- 
leac is traditionally known as 

•The measurements are those of the 
Rev. Maxwell Close taken from Borlases 
"Dolmens of Ireland." 



"Aideen's Grave," who after dying for 
grief at the loss of her husband, Oscar, 
son of Oisin, who was slain at the 
Battle of Qavra, is said to have been 
buried at Howth by the Fenian heroes 
near the mansion of her father, Angus 
of Ben-Edar. 

They heaved the stone, they heaped 
the cairn. 

Said Oisian, "In a queenly grave 
We leave her 'mong her flelds of fern 

Between the clift and wave." 

The cliff behind stands clean and bare 
And bare above the heathery steep 

Scales the clear heavens' expanse to 
where 
The Danaan Druids sleep. 

And all the sands that left and right 
The grassy isthmus-ridge confine 

In yellow bars lie bare and bright 
Among the sparkling brine. 

A clear pure air pervades the scene 
In loneliness and awe secure 

Meet spot to sepulchre a queen 
Who in her life was pure. 

Here far from camp and chase re- 
moved 

Apart in nature's quiet room 
The music that alive she loved 

Shall cheer her in her tomb. 

That while from circling year to year 
The Ogham-lettered stone is seen 

The Gael shall say our Fenians here 
Entombed their loved Aideen. 



The humming of the noon-tide beee. 
The lark's loud carol all day long. 

And borne on evening's salted breeze 
The clanking sea-birds song 




THE CROMLEAC AT HOWTfi)jgAIDEEN*S ORAVE.^IC 



May, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



153 




HOWTH. IRELAND'S BYB IN THE DISTANCE. 



Shall round her airy chamber float 
And with the whispering winds and 
streams 

Attune to Nature's tenderest note 
The tenor of her dreams. 

And oft at tranquil eve's decline 
When full tides lip the Old Green 
Plain, 

The lowing of Moynalty's kine 
Shall round her breathe again. 



And when the fierce De Danaan ghosts 
At midnight from their peak come 
down, 

And all around the enchanted coasts 
Despairing strangers drown; 

When mingling with the wreckful wail 



From low Clontarf's wave-trampled 
shore 
Comes booming up the burthened gale 
The angry sand-bull's roar. 

Or angrier than the sea, the shout 
Of Erin's hosts in wrath combined 

When terror heads oppressions rout 
And Freedom cheers behind. 

Then o'er our lady's placid dreams 
When safe from storms she sleeps, 
may steal 

Such joy as will not misbeseem 
A queen of men to feel. 

And here hard by her natal bower 
On lone Ben Edar's side we strive 

With lifted rock and sign of power 
To keep her name alive. 




ST. PINTAN'S CHURCH, HOWTH. 



Irish Peat for the Navy* 

A PARLIAMENTARY correspond- 
ent says: *'Mr. Wyndham and 
the Irish Government have a 
most important project in hand, which 
may bring great results to Ireland in 
the Immediate future. This is nothing 
less than the utilization of the peat 
which is deposited in such enormous 
quantities in different parts of Ireland, 
as a fuel for household and steam-rais- 
ing purposes. 

Experiments have been in progress 
for some time, and a firm at Dumfries 
is actually manufacturing a species of 
fuel from peat. The Irish Government 
intends to set up or aid a manufactory 
on a considerable scale, and Mr. 
Wyndham personally is full of enthu- 
siasm for the scheme. 

The peat when taken from the bogs 
will be compressed and dried, so as to 
get rid of the water. It will then be 
pulverized and mixed with a proportion 
of coal dust and crude oil, with a little 
clay to act as a cement for the whole, 
enabling it to be compressed into 
briquettes, which will be burned as we 
bum coal. 

An experiment made on these linei 
on a very small scale about ten yean 
ago was completely successful, and it 
is plain that if the same results can be 
obtained when working with machin- 
ery, a new industry will be established 
in Ireland which may give plrofitable 
employment to an immense number of 
persons for an indefinite time. 

The new fuel is to be tried for naval 
purposes, and it may prove almost as 
good a substitute for coal as the crude 
oil, which Lord Selborne states has 
been so su<^ces8ful during the past 
year. 

Confirmation of this report comes 
from a correspondent at Cork, who 
writes: "A most interesting and im- 
portant project is at present on foot 
'or the utilization of Irish peat, and in 
this connection experiments are being 
carried out on several turf bogs in Ire- 
land for the purpose of testing the 
value and quality of the product from 
a commercial point of view. The en- 
terprise has its origin in London, the 
promoters being Ehiglish capitalists 
desirous of developing the Irish peat 
industry. A prominent London engi- 
neer, interested in the scheme, has 
written to a well-known priest In Cork, 
Rev. P. J. Bowling, to obtain from him 
any available data that would be likely 
to help forward the project." 

It is calculated that Ireland could 
produce an output of peat equal to 
about three-quarters of the British 
coal supply if the extensive turf bogs 
abounding in the country were only 
properly utilized and worked to the 
best advantage. Cubes of turf, meas- 
uring six inches by six inches are be- 
ing cut, dried, and weighed as samples 
of the output obtainable in different 
localities, with a view to having opera- 
tions begun in the near future in the 
most favorable districts. 

Machinery for the compression of 
peat is being brought into use In vari- 
ous places In the United States where 



peat 



bogs 

Digiti 



Té í?'@oogle 



J54 



THE GAEL. 



May, Í903» 




The 



Lost Passage Money^ 

By M* Fletcher. 



^^TITTISHA, I don't know what 
** ^Ju could have become of it at 
^^ all, at all," and the speaker 
shook out her skirts as though 
her lost purse might have stuck to 
them in in some mysterious fashion. 

"I hope, Mrs. Clancy, ye don't think 
I have anything to do with your loss 
for its meself is well-known here in 
CorkMarket, and me father and mother 

before me, and " A slight pause for 

breath enabled Mrs. Clancy to break 
In with— 

"Arrah, me honey, don't be afther 
taking on like that It's meself had 
no right to come near the market at 
all until I had taken me ticket for New 
York. But- praise be the saints, may- 
be I'll find the purse agin." 

She stopped and looked reflectively 
at her dudheen. 

"Tis ne'er a draw at all it'll draw," 
she murmured; then brightened up a« 
a man tA a neighboring stall offered 
her a light. 

The rosy, apple cheeked little old 
woman thanked him heartily and was 
soon pouring out the story of her lost 
purse. 

"And wur ye not going to get yere 
bit of meat from me this mornin', ac- 
cording to custom," queried Pat Ryan 
as he peered here and there in search 
of the lost purse. 

"Wisha, faix, to be sure I was. I 
only stopped at Mary Reardon's stall 
with a message from me daughter 
Kate — you know what cronies they 
are." 

"Yes, and yourself with Mick Rear- 
don, too," commented Pat, with a sly 
wJnk. 

"Hush, "whispered the old woman, 
"she'll be afther hearing," pointing 
to Mary Reardon, "an glory be if here 
Isn't me daughter Kate herself. 
Wisha, Kate, it's the bitther day of 
misfortune has dawned on us." 

"And how do you make that out, 
mother, agra? Shure wasn't it sing- 
ing to yerself ye wor when ye left 
the cabin this mornin', plazed with the 
thought that ye were going to get yer 
ticket to go to Dinls in Ameriky, and 
leave me behind in the old country!" 

"Ah! shure, Kate asthore, ye would- 



n't come with me; ye'd rather stay 
here with the Reardons and yere other 
friends. But its sorra a bit meself 
is like to go at all, for me passage 
money's lost." 

"Lost, is it! — and how on earth did 
that same happen?" 

"Wisha, faix, not a know I know 
replied the old woman. "I was talk- 
ing to Mary Reardon here, and all of 
a sudden I put me hand in me pocket, 
and lo and behold! me purse was 
gone." 

Pat Ryan wondered if he was mis- 
taken, ior he thought he observed 
something like a gleam of pleasure 
in Kate Clancy's fine eyes. However, 
she expressed the deepest sympathy. 

"Bad cess to them, whoever they be 
who'd be after robbing a poor widdy 
woman. And it's every comer of Cork 
Market we'll look for the same purse." 

"Shure, maybe she lost it before she 
entered at all, at all." 

The speaker was Mary Reardon, 
who still resented the fact of the 
purse being first missed near her stall. 

"Tis sense Miss Reardon do be 
speaking," observed Pat Ryan, who 
had long indulged in dreams of unit- 
ing the two stalls and making a for- 
tune. "Shure, Mrs. Clancy, maybe ye 
could be afther remembering where 
ye saw the purse last?" 

Mrs. Clancy, thus appealed to, puffed 
harder than ever at the dhudeen in her 
efforts to think, while her good- 
humored, rosy apple face grew puck- 
ered and unusually anxious. 

"If I don't disrem ember," she said at 
last very solemnly, "I was Just coming 
out of the Gineral Post Office; it was 
there I put the purse in me under 
pocket." 

"And wasn't it only this blessed 
morning." said her daughter, "that 
ye swore to meself ye'd keep it safe in 
yere buzom?" 

"Arrah, girl, be alsy. Me und.eir 
pocket's quite as safe." 

"Well, it seems to me," put in Mary 
Reardon. "it's all the way between 
here and the Gineral ye' 11 have to 
search, not only in the Market." 

"Wisha, glory be, but its sense Miss 
Reardon has." But the lady only 



tossed ber head at the compliment, 
and Pat Ryan turned to serve a cus- 
tomer, murmuring something about a 
heart of stone. More people than ever 
was fiocking into the market, and the 
Clancy's, mother and daughter, re- 
solved to start a systematic search. 
Kate, for reasons of her own, said she 
would inquire at the places outside 
of the market where her mother had 
been. 

"For I make no doubt," she said, 
"'twas many a bit of gossip ye stopped 
for between here and the Gineral." 

"Well, shure, and it's not uncivil 
ye'd like me to be, and this me last 
Saturday maybe in Cork City. I just 
passed the time of day with Dan Con- 
nell on the South Mall." 

"And what took ye to the South 
Mall." 

"Shure to say good-bye to the old 
mastber. Tlhen I wint into Mag^e 
Leary's shop, and there I met Mat 
O'Hara, and he says, 'Arrah, Mrs. 
Clancy, sure ye're not cruel enough 
to be afther laving us?' And shure,' 
sez I, *I must do me duty to me off- 
spring,' and with that he ups and sez, 
'Anyways, ye'll come and have a drop 
of the cratur, as old friends ought be- 
fore parting.' And its not meself 
could say him, nay, and " 

But here the daughter Interrupted — 
"That's three places ye were at, any- 
how. I suppose it was Mrs. Meagher's 
licensed house ye went to?" 

The old woman nodded. 

"Well, mother, I'll be off, and mean- 
while ye can be making inquiries round 
the market." 

Arrived at the South Mai), Kate 
looked eagerly. She might chance to 
meet Mat O'Hara, perhaps. But It 
was not an old man, but a handsome 
young one, who came up to greet her. 

"Begorra, Kitty, asthore, it's meself 
hag been looking around for you this 
long while." 

"Arrah, shure, yer dinner isn't over 
yet, Mike. Come into one of the back 
streets beyant; it's a lot I have to tell 
yez." 

The story of the lost purse was soon 
told. 

"Wisha, faix, its not sorry I am. 



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May, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



)55 



Tour mother ought to consider you as 
much as your brother, and it's well 
she knows that if she goes to Ameriky 
the man with the mortgage won't let 
you kape on the holding, and it's small 
chance I have of it. Don't be down on 
her, do ye say? Wiaha, how can I 
help it, when she trated me like the 
dirt undher her feet; sez I'm an idle 
fellow, and bo on. Though what she 
expects me to do without ere a bit of 
land is more than I know." 

His handsome face flushed; the land 
hunger his countrymen know so well 
was tugging at his heartstrings; deep 
down the land was dearer to him 
than the woman at his side. She 
watched him half pityingly, half ten- 
derly. 

"If the purse ds not found," she 
whispered, "mother can't go." 

"Och, but shure it will be found. 
Who dare rob a widdy woman? Cork 
people are not thieves." 

Kate was silent; the thought that 
had entered her brain had not pene- 
trated his slower mind. She pondered 
over it after he had gone back to his 
work. 

"If I was sure it was meself as 
much as the land he was afther I'd 
risk a mortal sin for him. But it's not 
a mortal sin, and, anyway, the chance 
has not come in my way yet" 

It was dusk when Kate returned to 
the market, and her mother said she 
was tired waiting for her. "And I 
can see by your face ye've had no 
more luck than meself." 

"I have been trapezing all over the 
place, and sorra a bit did any of your 
cronies know about the purse." 

The journey home to Blarney in the 
electric tram was taken in silence, for 
both the Clancys were tired and sad. 

On the Sunday afternoon the two 
Reardons and Pat Ryan came out to 
Mrs. Clancy's to see if the purse had 
been found, or at least that was the 
ostensible reason, but as everyone 
knows. Blarney is a delightful spot 
for love-making. 

When the visit was over, Mary 
Reardon found herself going home 
alone with Pat Ryan. 

"Wisha, don't be angry. Miss Rear- 
don, but I gave yere brother the 
wink, and he was only too plazed to 
stay longer enjoying Kate Clancy's so- 
ciety." 

Mary Reardon blushed and smiled, 
so Pat, taking heart of grace, contin- 
ued: "'Tis a rock of sense ye are at 
yere business and everything else, and 
seeing ye there in the market beside 
me. I often wonders which stall is the 
best, and maybe 'tis yerself will do the 
same!" 

"Well, I won't say the thought has 
never crossed my mind." 

"No; and would ye be afther pictur- 
ing to yourself what a purty bizness 
the two combined would make?" Mary 
blushed again, and the butcher boldly 
took her hand and placed it within his 
arm. 

"As our stalls are side by side in the 
market, Mary, so let us walk through 
life side by side." 

"Go alsy. 'TÍs taking a lot for grant- 
ed ye axA. Mike has a share in the 



business." Pat Ryan's eyes twinkled. 

"Sure 'tis glad he'd be of the little 
bit of money I have in the bank. It 
would help him powerful with old Mrs. 
CJaucy." 

"The next evening Mike Reardon 
rushed out to Blarney as soon as his 
work was over. 

"'Tis the great news entirely I do be 
bringing," he called out when Kate 
came to the door. 

"And what may that same be?" 

"Wlsha, my sister and Pat Ryan are 
after making up a match, and himself 
offered me a fine sum for my share in 
tne stall." He whiepered the amount 
to her. and Mrs. Clancy, who had heard 
the conversation at tiie door, for the 
top half was open, called to him to 
come and tell her all about it. "Now," 
she said, "if this had happened before, 
1 need not have thought of crossing the 
ocean. It was the interest of that mort- 
gage that worried me, but sure if ye 
could pay it oft ye'd have only to come 
in and hang up yer hat here." 

"Do you mane it, mother, asthore?" 
Kate's eyes gleamed with hope as she 
asked the question. 

"It's too late now," replied the old 
woman, somewhat sadly. 

"But if the purse is not found, would 
ye be content then?" 

"Arrah, very likely I would, falx." 

Tuesday morning brought a letter 
from America. 

"And what do be in Dinis's letter at 
all, at all, mother, ye looks so worried 
o»pr it?" 

"Shure, 'tis thinking of getting mar- 
ried again he is. The saints be praised 
it's not embarked I am. There's no 
need for me to mind his young childer 
now, though indeed he says he hopes 
I'll come all the same." 

"And will you go if the purse is 
found?" 

"Is it anxious to get rid of me ye are, 
afther almost imploring me on yere 
bended knee to stay at home? Purse 
or no purse, de'il a haporth I'll stir 
from ould Ireland." 

Kate knew her mother meant what 
she said. 

"Ye needn't think I didn't mane to 
give it ye in time to start," the daugh- 
ter said slowly and half ashamed. "I 
only waited to see if anything would 
happen before Friday." 

"And where did ye find it at all?" 

"At the old masther's. Ye dropped 
it on the floor of his office, and himself 
put it away in his safe for you. And 
it's he'll be pleased to hear ye have 
sense enough to stay in the old coun- 
thry where ye were born and bred. 
Shure, did ye never hear: 

"Me son's me son till he gets him a 

wife. 
But me daughter's me daughter all her 

life." 

"And begorra it's the tlirue saying 
ye'll find it" 

This was the nearest approach to any 
outward expression of tenderness, for 
though the Irish have a flow of words 
to the mouth, they do not wear their 
hearts on their sleeves. These two, 
anyway, did not, and they quickly be- 



gan to talk over future plans,- and won- 
dered whether Denis would want the 
passage money back. 

When, however, the latter heard of 
his sister's approaching marriage, with 
true Irish pride he resolved she should 
not go to her husband empty-handed, 
more especially as the bridegroom was 
paying off the mortgage on the hold- 
ing. So the passage money was a gift 
to the bride. 

There was a double wedding that 
summer, and when. Mike Reardon went 
to hang up his hat In Mrs. Clancy's 
cabin, the family name was ofCared 
from the old stall — and now, any day 
you like to take a stroll through Cork 
Market, you may see, behind an en- 
larged counter, Pat Ryan and his sen- 
sible wife serving their customers side 
by side. 



Ancient Hinba« 

AT' the usual monthly meeting 
(March) of the Society of Anti- 
quaries of Scotland, held in 
Edinburgh, an Interesting paper was 
read by Dr. W. W. Ireland on a visit 
to Ellean na Naolmh, one of the Gar- 
veloch Islands, the ancient Hlnba of 
Adamnan. 

In his life of St. Columba Adamnan 
frequently refers to the saint's visits 
to Hlnba, in which he founded a mon- 
astery, one of the very earliest insti- 
tutions of the kind. The locality of 
this foundation remained unldentlfled 
until the publication of Reeves' edition 
of Adamnan In 1857. 

The Island Is now uninhabited, but 
on a level spot not far from the land- 
ing-place Dr. Ireland found a group of 
ruins of dry-stone buildings, compre- 
hending a small early church, besides 
a few rudely carved slabs belonging to 
the ancient graveyard. Not far from 
the landing-place Is ColumclUe's Well 



To Our Readers. 

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any price so good or so Interesting. 

Tell your trlenas about It You will 
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THE GAEU 



May, l?03. 




A STORY of Irish life by Mr. Ed- 
mund Downey (*'F. M. Allen") 
will be published early this 
month under the title of "Clashmore." 



MR. DAVID NUTT. publisher, Lon- 
don, announces a reissue of Miss 
Fiona MacLeod's shorten stories 
rearranged, and with additional tales. 
In three vols., 3 shillings net, or each 
volume separately. Is. 6d. 



LONGMANS, GREEN & GO. an- 
nounce "Adventures with the 
Connacht Rangers from 1809 to 
1814," by William Grattan, Esq., late 
Lieutenant Connacht Rangers. With 
photogravure illustrations, plans and 
maps, large crown 8vo; cloth |2.50. 



THE nephew of Father Prout, T. J. 
O'Mahony, D. D., All Hallows 
College, Dublin, is also a poet, 
and an ii.merican edition of his verses 
is soon to be presented by the Abbey 
Press under the title of "Wreaths of 
Song." The poems are religious and 
philosophical. 

IN a recent lecture under the auspices 
of the Irish Literary • Society, Mr. 
Bryce incidentally remarked that 
Professor Bury, recently of Trinity 
College, Dublin, and now late Lord 
Acton's successor in the Chair of Mod- 
ern History at Cambridge Unlvereity, 
was engaged in the work of "recon- 
structing" a Life of St Patrick. 



MISS ELIZABETH YEATS, a sister 
of the Irieh poet, has started in 
Ireland a "Dun Emer Press," in 
which she is attempting to rival the 
Kelmscott work. 

Paper made of pure linen has been 
procured from Irish mills, and Miss 
Yeats is doing her own printing, with 
the help of an assistant. The first vol- 
ume is to be a collection of poems by 
Mr. W. B. Yeats. "In the Seven 
Woods." 



MR. W. B. YEATS has, in the last 
six years or so, contributed a 
good deal of miscellaneous 
prose writing to various periodicals. 
These articles have been collected, and 
will be published shortly by Mr. A. H. 
Bullen, under the general title, "Ideas 
of Good and Evil." Mr. Bullen also has 
two volumes of plays by Mr. Yeats 
ready for almost Immediate publica- 
tion. 



MR SEUMAS MAC MANUS will 
begin this month in Dublin the 
publication of a little penny 
monthly illustrated series of his stories 
entitled "IrUh Nights." Most of the 
stories have appeared before but the 
series will be leavened with new 
stories, poems, sketches, etc. The of- 
fice will be at 70 Great Strand Street, 
Dublin. The subscription price is Is. 
6d. per year. 



ETHNA CARBERRY'S beautiful 
book of poems, '"iTie Four 
Winds of Erinn," is now in its 
ninth edition. A volume of short 
stories from her pen is now in the pub- 
lisher's hands and will appear shortly 
under the title "The Passionate 
Hearts." 

It will be a well printed artistic 
book with a colored cover design by 
"A. E." The price will be Is. in paper, 
2s. in cloth binding. 



WE note the publication of the fol- 
lowing Parliamentary Papers: 
Appendix to the Final Report 
on University Education in Ireland (Is. 
3d.); Education, Scotland, Report for 
the Northern Division (2d.); Educa- 
tion, Code, Scotland, Code of Regula- 
tions for Day Stdiools, with Appen- 
dices. 1903 (5d.); Fifty-fifth Report of 
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (5d). 



THE latest number of the "New 
Liberal Review" includes in its 
contents "Ireland To-day," by 
Mr. T. W. Russell, M. P.; "Poets and 
Dreamers," by Mr. W. B. Yeats; and 
a further article in reference to the 
"Encyclopaedia Biblica," by the Rev. 
J. O. F. Murray, discussing Professor 
Van Manen's theory of the Pauline 
Epistles. 



THE April issue of "Bauba," being 
the fourth number of this excel- 
lent monthly magazine, printed 
entirely in Irish, presents a variety of 
attractive features. On the front page 
appears an interesting picture of Mr. 
Michael O'Sullivan, late of Ennlscor- 
tby. who did so much for the (>aelie 
League in Wexford, and his wife ac- 
companied by a brief sketch. There 
is an interesting story by Mr. D. D. 
Murphy, an important contribution 
from the pen of the Rev. Peter O'Leary, 
P. P. Castleyons; and a comprehensive 
article on the writings of Geoffrey 
Keating. 



IN his interesting preface to the new 
edition of his "Leaders of Public 
Opinion in Ireland" Mr. Lecky 
points out that he first issued the book 
anonymously in 1861, when it made 
but little impression. In 1871 he re- 
vised it and acknowledged its author- 
ship. 

It reached popularity through the no- 
tice of Gladstone and other prominent 
politicians, when the Irish question 
came to the fore. The present edition 
has been further modified by the con- 
sultation of sources not previously 
available, and has been issued by 
Messrs. Longman, Green & Co. 



THE current number of "Folk-lore" 
contains a long paper by Mr. E. 
S. Hartland on the Lia Fail, or 
Stone of Destiny, as an example of the 
world-wide belief among barbaric peo- 
ples of special augury talismans con- 
nected with the traiismission of kingly 
power. 

Incidentally he discusses whether the 
Lia Fail was really carried to Scotland, 
and is now In the Coronation throne 
at Westminster Abbey. 



CANON O'HANLON, P. P., Sandy- 
mount, Dublin, is to be congratu- 
lated on the recently issued Part 
102 of his monumental "Lives of the 
Irish Saints," bringing the work down 
to October 12th, 1902. The present in- 
stalment deals with the lives of those 
Irish saints whose feasts are commem- 
orated on October 10th, 11th, and 
12th, whose names will be new save to 
the few scholars who have made a 
study of Irish hagiology. 

Much the greater part of the work 
now under notice is filled with a crit- 
ical memoir of St. Canice (Cainneach 
or Kenny), patron saint of Kilkenny, 
adequately illustrated, wherein the 
venerable Canon has utilized the latest 
researches for the purpose of elucidat- 
ing all that is genuinely known of this 
great saint, who died on October 11th, 
598, at Aghaboe, Qujeen's County. 

Three more parts will complete Vol- 
ume X., completing the month of Oc- 
tober, and it is to be hoped that the 
aged pastor of Sandymount will be 
spared to finish the two remaining vol- 
umes. Canon O'Hanlon has been 35 
years laboring at the compilation of 
the Irish "Acta Sanctorum," surely a 
stupendous monument of unwearied 
labor, as may be evidenced In the 6,528 
pages In royal octavo now printed by 
Messrs. Sealy, Brj^rs St Walker. 

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REID (HEINRY A.). Topographical 
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SONGS OF ERIN. A Collection of Fifty 
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THE GAEL. 



May, 1903. 






w 



Notes from Ireland* 



^^T^ERHAPS the greatest proces- 
** r^ sion that has been witnessed 
* in Dublin for three decades!'* 
So has a keen observer of Irish Nation- 
alist demonstrations referred to the 
magnificent Language procession that 
filed through Dublin's streets on the 
Sunday preceding St. Patrick's Day. 

It was in many respects an impres- 
sive spectacle; its orderliness com- 
manded undivided admiration and re- 
spect; Its proportions overawed the 
enemies of the Gaelic League; its 
character must have been gall to those 
who would scoff at the League's as- 
pirations, its spirit, clearly awakened 
feelings of hope and enthusiasm in the 
ratified spectators, which few of them 
expected ever to experience. 

Its educational value cannot easily 
be gauged, for it illustrated what is 
best in Ireland's history as it has 
never perhaps been publicly illustrated 
before. The effects of such a salutary 
lesson must be far-reaching. One 
could have wished that the Cork Exhi- 
bition had given half so successful an 
illustration of Ireland's industrial re- 



And yet the whole demonstration 
was comparatively spontaneous. The 
Dublin press did not boom it, though 
sections of the Dublin press would 
now claim to have all but made and 
sustained the Language movement. 
When evidences of the progress of any 
organization become visible, leaders 
of thought naturally look around for 
the causes, and it happens not infre- 
quently that the progress is ascribed 
to the wrong causes. 

After all, only ther very few will, 
hesitate to claim credit for their share' 
in advancing the interests of the Gae- 
lic League. In some cases competition 
necessitates this. But those who claim 
the results of their own efforts — some- 
times more than they are entitled to 
claim — should not be entirely un- 
mindful of the feelings of those who 
by willingly plunging* into unseen 
drudgery have really sustained the 
•Gaelic League. 

The actual source of the League's 
progress must be sought in the Branch 
classes. The steadiness and earnest- 
ness of the class-work has been phe- 
nomenal simply, but its results, when 
they become apparent— ^nd should be 
unmistakeable — are often lightly 
claimed as the results of other forces. 
If half the claims rashly put forward 



in this way were admitted, nothing 
would remain to be credited to the 
tireless men and women who by their 
self-sacrifice have converted the 
League branches into National schools 
of which we have every reason to be 
proud. 

« • « 

The prime concern of the serious 
Gaelic Leaguer is the preservation and 
cultivation of the Irish language, lit- 
erature and traditions. From his in- 
dividual point of view every other con- 
sideration becomes subordinate, first, 
because the cultivation of Irish is a 
matter of such exceptional urgency, in 
which only very few can render prac- 
tical assistance, and secondly, because 
there are so very many engaged in one 
sphere or other in looking after the 
country's material interests. 

While every one must admit that the 
Gaelic League has contributed at least 
its share towards the general revival, 
no other body can claim to have done 
anything practical towards promoting 
the primary object of the League. The 
more earnest workers in the Language 
movement even complain that the cul- 
tivation of the native speech, where 
alone it can be rationally cultivated, 
has never received due attention at 
the hands of the League's own govern- 
ing body. When Father Dinneen and 
others enter a candid plea for the 
Irish-speaking districts they are char- 
acterized as pessimists even by co- 
workers, co-workers doubtless de- 
ceived by mistaken evidence of 
progress. 

« • « 

From this viewpoint the Language 
procession had one very disappointing 
feature. Of the hosts upon hosts who 
constituted It, it may safely be com- 
puted that not one in every thousand 
goes so far as to pay a penny weekly 
for the League's official organ. Is it 
to be inferred from this that the work, 
the concerns, the destiny of the 
League have not yet excited any deep 
national Interest In Ireland? It seems 
easy to over-rate the significance of 
Imposing processions. 
« * * 

The idea first suggested in an early 
issue of "Banba" of establishing an 
Irish school amid favorable surround- 
ings is being urged forward by Father 
Dinneen, Messrs. P. J. O'Shea, J. J. 
Doyle and others. The difficulty of 
equipping such a school seems in the 
present tension somewhat formidable. 



Until the difficulty is overcome, how- 
ever, and Irish is used freely and gen- 
eraljy in imparting instruction, the 
Gaelic League cannot be said to have 
entered fully on its mission. Members 
of the League Executive in Ireland 
could, without missing it, finance such 
an experiment What have they to 

say? 

• • • 

Only very few notices of motion for 
the League Congress, which com- 
mences on the 11th inst., have yet 
been published. Among those that 
have appeared are two from the virile 
Keating Branch, Dublin. One has ref- 
erence to the organization of the Irish- 
speaking areas, another recommends 
that the Oireachtas and Annual Con- 
gress be held alternately in Cork, Gal- 
way, Derry, Limerick and Belfast for 
the next five years. There can be no 
doubt as to the advantages which 
would result from holding the Con- 
gress as far as possible in the vicinity 
of an Irish-speaking district. The 
prospect of witnessing it too would be 
a great incentive to the different prov- 
inces to work In turn, and every incen- 
tive to work is to be recommended. 

* * « 

The barony of Iveragh, Co. Kerry, 
has at length committed itself to a 
Fels which is fixed for the 11th of 
June in Cahirclveen. There are few 
districts in Ireland, if any, that have 
retained such a wealth of the literary 
and social traditions as has Iveragh, 
and its Fels is therefore certain to be 
uncommonly Interesting. Mr. Mac- 
Donagh Mahony is the moving spirit 
there. At Caherdanlel, in the adjoin- 
ing barony, Mr. Dan O'SuUivan is as- 
siduously promoting a Fels for the end 
of July. This Is encouraging news, as 
It affords a prospect of solid work be- 
ing accomplished. The Cahirclveen 
Syllabus is ambitious enough almost 
for the Oireachtas. 



4Í 



SAUCY JACK BARRY" Is the 
title of a new play written by 
M. J. Murphy, and the story 
has for a central figure the immortal 
Irish Commodore, who has the credit 
of being the first commander of the 
United States Navy, who first bore the 
American flag to victory on the high 
seas, and who fought the last battle of 
the Revolution, driving off three Brit- 
ish frigates single handed. Mr. Mur- 
phy will star in the play. 



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May, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



The Gael 

(An SAcOAt.) 



Eirtsrad tt Nmr York Pott Office as Second-cbss Matter. 

Posteigefreé to any point in the United States^ 
Mexico or Canada, 



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THB GAEL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

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THE present number of THB 
GAEL has been gotten out in 
accordance with suggestions re- 
ceived from many readers who ex- 
pressed tJiemselves deeply interested in 
the continued success of our maga- 
zine, and is, we believe, the best num- 
ber ever issued. 

• • • 

It will be observed that Irish politi- 
cal subjects (the Land Bill, Home 
Rule, etc.), are touched upon for the 
first time. They are dwelt upon in an 
explanatory way and not for the pur- 
pose of advocating or exploiting any 
special views or theories. 

The subjects treated in this number. 
It will be noticed, are more varied than 
usual and are given with a view of 
interesting with each succeeding num- 
ber a wider circle of readers than 
before. 
I The spaces between the lines in this 

' issue have been removed and the lines 

of type brought closer together. By 
< doing this we have been enabled to 
, give our readers the equivalent of 

i^ioHT M01VB PAGES without increasing 
the size of the magazine. 

r • • ♦ 

I It is true the pages look a little 

blacker and the type appears a shade 

! smaller but it is only in appearance as 

the type is exactly the same as we have 

I been using from the beginning. This 

innovation has also been suggested by 
a correspondent Incidentally we may 
mention that we have received hun- 
dreds of suggestions regarding the 
conduct of this magazine from friends 
in all parts of the world. It is impos- 
sible to find space to acknowledge 
them all. We must say, however, they 
are thankfully and gratefully received 
and many of them will be acted upon. 



In the meantime may we ask our 
readers to tell their friends about THE 
GAEL and the good work it is en- 
gaged in. A few words of commenda- 
tion spoken by a pleased reader to a 
friend is of great value to us and will 
have more influence in inducing a per- 
son to become a subscriber than a 
dozen circulars or sample copies sent 
from this oflice. May we ask our read- 
ers to speak those few words for us? 



THE following significant extract 
is taken from ''Claidhéamh So- 
luis," date of April 4th. The 
italics are ours: 

"Maynooth was one of the most Irish 
spots on Irish soil on La Fheile Pad- 
raig. The chief event of the day was 
Father O'Doherty's Irish sermon de- 
livered in the College chapel before 
the assembled students and staff. We 
believe this teas the first sermon in the 
historv of the College. Father NO'Doher- 
ty's theme was the zeal of St. Patrick 
and the Irish saints. 

"Incidentally, the grave fear for 
those who with the loss of their lan- 
guage, and all its lore, had forgotten 
the traditions of their saints, was 
touched on, and a strong appeal was 
made to the priests and future priests 
of Ireland to make religion national, 
in its sources of inspiration as well as 
in its expression. 

"After the sermon, Dr. O'Dea, Vice- 
President of the College, gave out the 
Rosary in Irish, and a hymn in Irish 
was sung during Benediction. A racy 
concert, with an Irish address from 
the Vice-President, signalized the 
evening." 

As usual when making statements 
regarding events connected with the 
history of the Irish language move- 
ment, with which it should be better 
acquainted, the "Claidheamh Soluis" 
has fallen into error. 

Its aseertion that the sermon 
preached at Maynooth on St. Patrick's 
Day was the first ever preached there 
in Irish is incorrect 

At the beginning of the last century 
(about 1808) Rev. Paul O'Brien was 
Professor of Irish at the College. He 
was a south of Ireland man whose 
home language had been exclusively 
Gaelic. He spoke Irish and Latin with 
great fluency and eloquence but ex- 
pressed himself in English (an ac- 
quired tongue) with some difliculty. 
He lectured and preached in Irish in 
Maynooth College nearly a hundred 
years ago. He compiled an Irish 
Grammar which was published in 
Dublin and Is now considered obsolete. 
THE GAEL has a copy in its reference 
library. 

At present Maynooth College main- 
tains a professor of Irish who con- 
trives to keep himself very much be- 
fore the public eye in the newspapers, 
not through what he accomplishes, but 
through what he implies he is going to 
accomplish — some day. So far the 
quantity and quality of his literary 
work in Irish is conspicuous by its ab- 
sence. 

Maynooth College as a representative 
Irish institution of learning has every 



Í59 

reason to be profoundly ashamed of 
its inactivity. During the past eighty 
years it has published only three books 
in Irish. The first step towards a 
better condition of affairs is to dis- 
pense with the poseur and procure a 
real professor of Irish, one competent 
and willing to translate and publish 
some of the rare old manuscripts now 
mouldering on the library shelves. 



Crimeless Ireland* 

AT the opening of the Mayo Crim- 
inal Sessions recently, Mr. 
Thomas F. Rutledge, sub- 
sheriff, presented County Court Judge 
Wakely with white gloves. 



DURING the recent violent storms 
in Ireland the Shannon's over- 
flow extended several miles in- 
land, causing great destruction of 
property. 



THE Boards of Guardians of Ath- 
lone and Roscommon have de- 
cided to grant no tobacco con- 
tracts except to merchants who will 
guarantee the goods to be supplied ar» 
manufactured in Ireland. 



THE Derry Chamber of Commerce 
of Londonderry, has issued ta 
Members of Parliament a state- 
ment declaring that "in the near fu- 
ture Ireland will require the control 
of her own railways for the purpose 
of developing the agriculture and 
manufactures of the country." 



IN the recent violent storms the floods 
washed away the railway between 
Coleraine and Londonderry. The 
whole district for miles presented the 
appearance of a raging sea. The dam- 
age done is almost incalculable. Bel- 
fast Lough was for days full of storm- 
bound vessels of every description. 



MR. E. E. FOURNIER, B. Sc, edi^ 
tor of Celtia, delivered an astro- 
nomical lecture in Irish recently 
in the Hall of the Royal Society of An- 
tiquaries. Stephen's Óreen, Dublin, the 
subject dealt with being "The Sun." 
There was a large attendance. The 
lecturer gave an interesting account of 
recent discoveries in connection with 
the sun, and illustrated his remark» 
with a series of excellent slides. 

...SELECT... 

IRISH ENTERUINiEilTS 

ROBIN E^LI^IS, 

— AMD— 

Dialect Reader in oonjanotlon with flrat-claaa vocal' 
and inatramental arttsts is prepared to supply 
exclnalvely hlsrh-claas Irlah entertainments as < on- 
certs, Mosicales, Receptlonsw etc., etc. Robin Ellis- 
Is the only public reader In the United States of the 
▼ernacalar " Borland Studies " of Iflss Jane Barlow. 
Repertoire includes "The Battle of Pontenroy," 
**Sneinus O'Brien/' "Robert Emmet's Speech'* 
and other standard Irish selections. Address for 
particulars, open dates and terms, to 

ROBiN BLLiS, 5 B. 14tb St., New York 

TELEPHONC 0460. lOTH STREET 



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THE GAEL» 



May. Í903. 



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Irish Minerals* 

A CORRESPONDENT of the London 
"Dally Chronicle" says: The 
Irish granites, limestones, sand- 
stoues, red, green and black marble, 
etc., are of fine quality, and some of 
them of great beauty, and I venture to 
say If these were properly developed, 
and the railway rates readjusted to 
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Why cannot part of the large sums 
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required? 



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Irish Farmers in Denmark* 

A PARTY of four gentlemoii who 
left London recently to make a 
close investigation of Danish 
agricultural systems and progress, the 
Co-operative movements, the "high 
schools" and popular education in Den- 
mark, have now started from Copen- 
hagen on their three weeks tour in the 
country. 

The party, consisting of Messrs. P. 
J. Hannon, D' Alton, Slattery and Vis- 
count Ikerrin, of the Department of 
Agriculture and Technical Science, ar- 
rived on March IZth at the town of 
Kallundhorg, where the Danish Gov- 
ernment agricultural adviser, R. 
Schou, conducted them through the 
local bacon factory and egg-packing es- 
tablishment. They intend also to pay 
visits to the large bacon factory at 
Odense, as well as the largest Co-opera- 
tive dairy in Denmark, **Trifolium," 
where the milk of 4,500 cows Is col- 
lected regularly. 

The results of their observations 
will be embodied In a report which 
will be published and widely circulated 
in Ireland. 



Gaelic Postal Cards* 

A DUBLIN publishing house has 
just issued a number of poet- 
cards in thirteen different varie- 
ties. There are pictorial cards with 
Irish scenic views and Incidents of 
Irish history and emblematic figures, 
each accompanied with suitable verses 
or mottoes. Other cards have ancient 
Gaelic tracing and spiral work from 
the illuminated manuscripts and pro- 
vincial and other armorial bearings, 
accompanied by proverbs in Gaelic 
with Bnglish translations. 

BERNARD MICHAEL CARLBY, 
TuUycross, late secretary of the 
Clonlonan Agricultural Co-oper- 
ative Society, County Westmeath, has 
been arrested In London. 

The accused Is charged with having 
between October, 1902, and March. 
1903. In the barony of Brawney. parish 
of St. Mary's, Athlone, embezzled the 
sum of £157 14s. lOd. delivered to or re- 
ceived for his employer, the Clonlonan 
Co-operative Society. 




"^-m^, 



Do you want to understand 
Modern Ireland? ifso, read 



"Banba 



tt 



(THE IRISH-IRELAND MAGAZINE) 

Contributions by the best Irish Writers, 
Articles, Stories, Poetry and News of the 
Gaelic Movement. 

Post free to any part of the world for folir 
shillinffs (dollar bills accepted). 

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No. 6. 
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VOL. XXII. 
8BRIE8. 



NEW YORK, JUNE, Í903. 



TWENTY-SBCOND YBAR 
OP PUBLICATION. 




The Shadow of the Rope* 




NB wet Winter's night, 
the rain pourin' down, 
an' the cold, enough to 
freeze the marrow in 
your bones, a poor stu- 
dent was on the road 
to Danesforth, on his 
way to Dublin. An* 
there wasn't a dhry stitch on his body, 
an' the peltin' rain was tricklin' down 
his neck, an' squelchin' in his boots, 
an' the big dhrops fell from the trees 
above, every step he tuk, an' he was 
cold an' hungry an* tired. 

Bverythin' was black as pitch wid the 
boughs meetin' overhead, but far away 
in the distance he could see the light 
In the windy of a cabin. An' he made 
up his mind to stop when he came to 
the cabin, an* ax them for shelter out 
of the rain. 

When he came to the cabin he 
knocked on the door, an* sez: "Let me 
in, in the name of Ood. Fm a poor stu- 
dent on me way to Dublin; let me in. 
out of the rain." 

An' the voice of a man within sez: 
"Go away, good man, we can't let ye 
in." 

An' sez the student agen: "Let me 

in, in the name of God, for I'm cold 

an' wearied, an' nearly drownded wid 

the rain." 

"Go away," sez the man's voice agen. 



By Francis Byrne Hackett 

"There's a woman, an' she's sick with- 
in." 

But a wake voice sez: "Let in the 
poor man, Patsie, in God's holy name." 

So the man of the house took down 
the bar from the door, an' opened it, 
an' the student walked into the kit- 
chen, all dhreepin' wet. "God save all 
here," sez he. 

"Gíod save ye kindly," sez himself, 
an' he barred the door again. 

" 'Tis a bad night for the uiravelers," 
sez the student. 

"Indade it is that," sez himselt 
''Stand up to the fire, ye must be per- 
ished wid the cold." 

"I am so," sez the student, sta'ndin' 
wid his back to the fire an' the steam 
comin' out of his clothes, an' the water 
runnin' down In little pools on to the 
floor where he stud. An' the woman of 
the house was over on a bed In the 
corner, moanin' wid the pain, an' the 
finger-smith was with her, for her time 
had come. 

An* the student looked at her, an' 
her cheeks all fiushed wid the fever, 
an' he sez to the man of the house: 
"Do ye know how bad herself is? An' 
nather priest or doctor along wid 
her." 

"Ah, she'll be all rig^t in the morn- 
in'," sez he. 

"Faith, .an' I dunno," sez the stu- 



dent, "I think ye ought to go for the 
priest for her." 

"Ah lave her be," sez himself, "she 
has the finger-smith. Musha, I can't 
lave her alone, so I can't." 

" 'Tis afeard to go he is," sez the 
finger-smith, "afeard of Mad Louise." 

"Of who?" sez the student 

"Of Mad Louise, that haunts the road 
near the village of Danesforth," sez 
she. 

The student looks at the man an' he 
sez nothin*. 

"Shame on ye," sez the student, "to 
be afeard of such a thing wid your wife 
near dyin* in the bed!*' "Are ye a 
man," sez he, "are ye a man to be 
afeard!*' 

"No man can go out on the road to 
Danesforth wid Mad Louise, so they 
can't." 

"Are ye a man?" repeated the stu- 
dent. "Here I am, wet an' hungry an' 
tired, an' if you'll tell me the way 1*11 
go meself an' bring the priest to your 
wife." 

An' wid that he puts on his hat, an' 
starts to button up his coat An' the 
man of the house looks at him, an' he 
puts on his coat himself. 

"Hould on," sez he, "sure I'll go a 
bit of the way wid ye, an' show ye the 
right road." 

An' he follies tb:e> student^ ^ut into 
Digitized by 



tlte> student fut 

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162 



THE GAEU 



June, I903* 



the road, an' the finger-smith shuts the 
door afther them. 

They went along, without sayin' a 
word till they came to a lonely piece 
of the road, where the boughs shut out 
every stlm of light. An' the farmer 
catches a hould of the student an' sez 
he in a whisper: "Tls here the damned 
sowl haunts the road." An' before 
they took another step out of the dark 
at the other end of the grove comes a 
wild boar chargin' at them, wid his 
eyes rollin' in his head, an' his tusks 
shinin', an* he foamln' at the mouth. 
An' this was the damned sowl in the 
shape of a boar. An' the farmer in 
fear an' terror catches hould of the 
student, but the student stands steady 
as a rock, an' raisin' his hand, he sez. 
"Be gone, in the name of the Father 
an* of the Son an' of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen." an' at the holy words the beast 
vanished. 

Now the farmer was tremblin' from 
head to foot because of the apparition, 
but when he seen the beast vanish so 
sudden he took heart, and made up his 
mind to go along wid the student to 
the priest's house. An' when they 
come to the house the student knocked 
three times on the door an' there was 
no answet. So he threw a handful of 
gravel up to the windy an' it was open- 
ed, an' the priest stuck out his head. 
"Who's there?" sez he. "What d'ye 
want?" 

"We're from near the cross-roads 
Father," sez the student. "This man's 
wife here Is sick, an' she wants you 
very bad." 

"Well, well, can't she wait UU the 
mornln'?" sez the priest, pulUn' the 
blanket round him, an' he shlverin' in 
the cold. 

"Begob, if she's dead afore mornin' 
the bishop will hear about it," sez the 
student. 

"Oh, all right," sez the priest, "if 
she's that bad I'll come. Wait, an' I'll 
be ready in a minute," an' he shuts 
down the windy. 

Out he comes in a minute, an' they 
start back again, an' all went well till 
they came to the same lonely piece of 
the road. 

"'Tls here," sez the priest, "that 
Mad Louise haunts the road," an' be- 
fore the words were out of his mouth 
they sees a fierce bull tearln' down on 
them from under the trees. An' at the 
sight of him even God's anointed was 
terrified. But the student sez again, 
"Be gone. In the name of the Father," 
usln' the same holy words, an' the buil 
disappeared. An' the priest couldn't be- 
lieve the sight of his eyes, an' he was 
ashamed of himself for beln' afeard. 
But he sez nothln', an' so they went on 
again till they came to the house, an' 
nothln' further happened. 

The minute the poor woman seen 
the priest her face grew brighter, an' 
she was better on the Instant. An' the 
child was just afther beln' born, an' it 
was a boy. So the priest blessed her, 
an' she was comforted, an' from that 
on there was no fear of her. 

Now the priest an' he goln' away 
spoke to the student, an' sez he: "My 
man; you have taught me a lesson to- 



night I'll never forget." an' he 'gave 
him a gold sovereign to help him on 
his way to Dublin. An' afther the 
priest's goin' the student made ready 
to start out. but the poor woman 
begged of him not to lave, because she 
wanted him to stand for the child at 
the chrlstenln'. So the, student stayed 
wid the husband, an' the next day the 
child was christened, an' the student 
was the god-father. An' the child was 
strong an' healthy. 

An' the student stayed for a few days 
afther the chrlstenln' an' the mother 
cudn'c see enough of him afther what 
he done for her. But the time came for 
him to lave, an' before he goln' the 
mother axed him to give her a token 
for the child to remember him by, an' 
the student sez nothln'. But on she 
axln' him again he took an Agnus Del. 
an' tied It round the neck of the boy. 
an' sez he to her: "Let no wan touch 
this Agnus Del, but when the boy grows 
up an' he's a scholard let him open It 
an' read what's in it himself." An' 
afther that the student sez good-bye to 
them all an' starts ofC on his Journey 
to Dublin. 

Now the child was healthy an' strong 
an' he grew up to be a fine boy alto- 
gether. He went to school l^ the vil- 
lage of Danesforth an* there' wasn't a 
iad In the three parishes as good a 
scholard as himself. An' his mother 
an' father were that proud of him, an' 
they meant him for a priest when he 
grew up. If God Almighty was wlllln'. 

An' when the boy was about seven- 
teen years of age, his mother sez to 
him wan day, sez she: "Me boy, did ye 
ever read what your god-father put In 
the Agnus Del about your neck?" 

"Indeed an' I never did, Mother. 
Ain't It a real Agnus Del?" 

"Yes," sez she. "but" there's a bit of 
wrltln' In It for yourself to read, an' 
nobody else. Open H. me son, an' read 
It alone be yourself, an' see what It 
sez." 

So he went ofC be himself Into the 
fields to read what was In the Agnus 
Del, an' when he came back he never 
sez a word about It at all. 

But shortly aftherwards the boy sez 
to his mother he was thlnkln' of lavin' 
home. An' she axed him what was the 
matter wid him, an' he sez "nothln'," 
but he wanted to go to Dublin an' seek 
his fortune. The poor woman did her 
best to persuade him to stay at home, 
but he kept at her about It, an' at last 
he made up his mind to start, so they 
gave him a bit of money, an' bade him 
Godspeed an' he sez good-bye to his 
father an' mother. An' she was heart- 
broken to have him lave home, an' 
. cried afther him, but It was no use, an' 
he went away. 

An' the ralson he left home was be- 
cause of what he read In the Agnus 
Del, for there was a terrible curse in it, 
an' this Is what It said: "You will be 
hanged before you are twenty-one." 
An' he dreaded to stay at home an' 
have his mother know of the curse. 

When he got to Dublin he walkea 
through the streets an' along the quays 
lookln' for work, but every place he 
axed them he was told they had all 
they wanted, an' to wait an' come back 



some other time. An' he was tired an' 
weary an' forlorn walkin' along be the 
river, when he chanced to see In the 
windy of a small shop a placard» 
"Young man wanted," an' he stepped 
Inside an' axed to see the master. 

An' the master was a man wid grey 
hair, an' he spoke to the boy. an' axed 
him where he come from an' all about 
him. An' afther a long talk he en- 
gaged him for a shlllln' a week an' his 
board. An' the boy was to run mes- 
sages an' sweep out the shop an' make 
himself handy. An' the master lived 
In the house along wid his wife an' 
daughter, an' there was two young men 
there apprenticed to him. 

Afther the boy beln' there a bit the 
master took a llkln' to hLm, an' he let 
him serve behind the counter, an' have 
his meals along wid himself an' his 
wife an' daughter. An' the boy work- 
ed hard in the shop, an' he liked his 
master an' them all, but he kept to 
himself all the time, because of the 
curse that was on him. 

Now when the master got talkln' wid 
him an' heard he was from near the 
village of Danesforth he was sur- 
prised. For It was himself an' no oth- 
er that was the student, the boy's own 
god-father An' sure the hand of God 
must be in it when he guided the boy 
to the student's house. But he never 
told the boy of his visit to Danesforth. 

Now the boy stayed wid his master 
three years, an' the master liked him 
better every day. An' the lad was in 
love wid his daughter, an' she loved 
him back, but he never spoke a word 
of it, because of the curse on him. An' 
he spent most of his time by himself. 

But the young men In the shop were 
always hlntin' to the master about him 
because he never took anythin' from 
the till, an' they did. an' they were 
afeard he would tell on them. An' 
when he went out with a message they 
always laid the blame on him for 
every thin'. An' they sez afther a 
while he wouldn't ever go along wid 
them, an' they tould the master he kept 
company wid bad people. An' the mas- 
ter was uneasy, an' he made up his 
mind, because of his daughter, to folly 
the boy wan day an' see where he went. 

An' 80 this day afther the shutters 
were put up, an' they had their supper, 
the boy went out, an' the master fol- 
lled afther him, an' he unaware. An' 
the boy went a long ways by the river, 
an' then turned up a side street, wid 
the master afther him. An' then he 
stood In the street, an' looked up an' 
down, because the prentices often fol- 
lled him to torment him, an' the mas- 
ter stepped Into a doorway so as not 
to be seen. An' when he came out he 
saw the lad Just turnln' into an alley, 
an' when he got there he found it was 
the entrance to a chapel. 

But the master thought the lad might 
be afther seein' him so he stole Into 
the chapel, an' up on the gallery to 
watch the lad. An' he was down below 
by himself, prayln' at the alther rails, 
fornlnst the tabernacle, wid his head 
In his hands. An' there was nobody 
else In the chapel. 

An' the master knelt behind a pillar 
In the gallery w^tchln' him prayln'. 

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An' suddenly he saw somethin' come 
sJowly down from the roof above the 
head of the lad. An' he cudn't make 
out what it was — an' then he saw it 
was a rope, wid a nooze on the end of 
it. An' It slid down slowly over the 
lad wid his head bowed in his hands. 

An' the master tried to call out to 
him, an' he cudn't make any sound. 
An' he sees the rope lower an' lower 
till the nooze of it came fominst the 
lad. An' the nooze swung over round 
the lad's neck without a sound. An' 
there an' then he was lifted up ofC the 
ground, once, twice, three times! An' 
then the nooze fell off his neck, an' the 
rope disappeared. 

An' then the master knew what had 
happened, an' when he saw the lad 
stand up he shouted down to him, an' 
in a minute he was tellin' him what 
he had seen. An' the two of them 
knelt down, an' thanked the good God 
for the passin' away of the curse. 

An' the lad's heart was light as a 
bird's because of the passin' of the 
curse. An' the master knew now he 
was honest an' good. An' he took him 
into the family, an' treated him like a 
son. An' afther all the hardship the 
lad knew the blessin' of Ood was on 
him when He sent him the Agnus Dei. 

An' the lad grew up to be the good 
man he promised to be. An' he was 
tnie to the love of his master, an' the 
master's daughter. 



The Curse of Doneraíle^ 



Questions in Parliament» 

MR. T. M. HEALY asked the Chief 
Secretary whether the intention 
of the Government in with- 
drawing Ancient Irish Manuscripts 
publication from the Master of the 
Rolls series was to secure effective 
editing under the responsible super- 
vision of the Royal Irish Academy; 
whether the effect had been to reduce 
the sums made available by the Treas- 
ury for such translations; and would 
he ascertain how soon the translation 
of "Tigemach," to which scholars at- 
tach much value, will be put in hand. 

The Hon. Arthur Elliott, said: "The 
hon. member is, I think, under some 
misapprehension. There has been no 
transfer of the publication of ancient 
Irish manuscripts from the Master of 
the Rolls series to the Royal Irish 
Aci^demy. Ancient Celtic manuscripts 
(with the exception of the Ancient 
Laws of Ireland, including the Brehon 
Laws, which are published by a spe- 
cial commission), are produced under 
the direction of the Royal Irish Aca- 
demy, which has long been specially 
concerned with this work, and which 
has received, in addition to its grant, 
various sums for the publication of the 
•Annals of Ulster.' I am sorry to find 
that the Royal Irish Academy are dis- 
inclined, with their present means, to 
undertake the translation of the 'An- 
nals of Tlgernach.' " 



Don*t fatt to procure Mm. Wikblowi Soothiv* 
■tbvp for yrnr Ohiidrea whUe onttiag teeth. It 
•oothee the child, softeni the gtiini allart all patn, 
enrea wind colic, and Is the beet remedy for 
dlMTfecsa. 



DONERAILE is a market town 
([formerly an Irish Parliamen- 
tary borough). In the barony of 
Fermoy, County Cork. It is situated 
about twenty-one miles northwest of 
Cork. 

Sir William St Leger, who was pre- 
sident of Munster in the reign of 
Charles I., held his court here. He 
purchased the estate of Sir Walter 
Welmond and John Spenser (son of 
the poet). 

In 1645 the Irish under Lord Castle- 
haven took the castle and burned the 
greater part of the town. The castle 
stood near the bridge over the River 
Awbeg, but not a vestige of it remains 
to-day. 

In the vicinity are the ruins of Kil- 
colman castle, which are interesting 
from having been at one time the resi- 
dence of the poet, Edmund Spenser. It 
was originally a structure of some 
magnitude, the property of the Des- 
mond family, and on their forfeiture, 
was, with about 3,000 acres of rich 
land granted by Queen Elizabeth to 
Edmund Spenser, who resided here for 
about twelve years, during which 
period he composed his "Faery 
Queen." 

There is nothing to distinguish Don- 
eraile from other Irish towns, but 
early in the last century it was made 
famous in the south of Ireland by an 
absurd poem written by a schoolmas- 
ter from the County Galway, named 
Pat O'Kelly, who had the Ill-luck to 
k>se there a watch and chain, and seal 
which he valued highly. 

Pat O'Kelly's high opinion of his 
own merits as a poet may be under- 
stood by his travestying the celebrated 
sonnet commencing: 'Three poets in 
three distant ages bom," etc., and in it 
alluding to himself and comparing his 
éalents with those of Byron and Scott: 
" 'Twould take a Byron and a Scott, I 

tell you, 
Combined In one to make a Pat 
O'Kelly." 

His "Curse of Doneralle" was widely 
circulated all over Ireland and created 
a great deal of amusement To ap- 
pease him Lady Doneralle presented 
him with a handsome "watch and 
seal" In place of the one he "lost" up- 
on which he wrote an euloglum which 
we have not space to print. 

THE CURSE OF DONERAILE. 
Alas! how dismal is my tale, 
I lost my watch in Doneralle. 
My Dublin watch, my chain and seal, 
Pllfer'd at once in Doneralle. 
May Fire and Brimstone never fail. 
To fall In show'rs on Doneralle. 
May all the leading fiends assail. 
The thieving Town of Doneralle. 
As light'nings flash across the vale. 
So down to Hell with Doneralle. 
The fate of Pompey at Pharsale, 
Be that the curse of Doneralle. 
May Beef, or Mutton, Lamb or Veal 
Be never found in Doneralle. 



But Garlic Soup and scurvy Cale, 

Be still the food for Doneralle. 

And forward as the creeping snail, 

Th' Industry be, of Doneralle. 

May Heav'n a chosen curse entail. 

On rigid, rotten Doneralle. 

May Sun and Moon forever fail. 

To beam their lights on Doneralle. 

May ev'ry pestilential gale. 

Blast that curs'd spot called Doneralle. 

May not a Cuckoo, Thrush, or Quail, 

Be ever heard in Doneralle. 

May Patriots, Kings and Commonweal, 

Despise and harass Doneralle. 

May ev'ry Post Gazette, and Mail, 

Sad tidings bring of Doneralle. 

May loudest thunders ring a peal. 

To blind and deafen Doneralle. 

May vengeance fall at head and tail. 
From North to South at Doneralle. 
May profit light and tardy sale. 
Still damp the trade of Doneralle. 
May Fame resound a dismal tale. 
Whene'er she lights on Doneralle. 
May Egypt's plagues at once prevail. 
To thin the knaves of Doneralle. 
May frost and snow, and sleet and hall 
Benumb each joint in Doneralle. 
May wolves and bloodhounds trace and 

trail, 
The cursed crew of Doneralle. 
May Oscar with his fiery fiall. 
To Atoms thrash all Doneralle. 
May every mischief fresh and stale. 
Abide henceforth in Doneralle. 
May all from Belfast to Kinsale, 
Scoff, curse, and damn you, Doneralle. 
May neither Flow'r nor Oatenmeal, 
Be found or known in Doneralle. 
May want and woe each joy curtail. 
That e'er was known in Doneralle. 
May no one Coflin want a nail. 
That wraps a rogue in Doneralle. 
May all the thieves that rob and steal. 
The gallows meet In Doneralle. 
May all the sons of Granuwale, 
Blush at the thieves of Doneralle. 
May mischief big as Norway whale, 
O'erwhelm the knaves of Doneralle. 
May curses wholesale and retail, 
Pour with full force on Doneralle. 
May ev'ry transport wont to sail, 
A convict bring from Doneralle. 
May ev'ry chum and milking pail. 
Fall dry to staves In Doneralle. 
May cold and hunger still congeal. 
The stagnant blood of Doneralle. 
May ev'ry hour new woes reveal. 
That Hell reserves for Doneralle. 
May ev'ry chosen 111 prevail. 
O'er all the Imps of Doneralle. 
May no one wish or pray'r avail, 
To soothe the woes of Doneralle. 
May th' Inquisition straight impale. 
The rapparees of Doneralle. 
May curse of Sodom now prevail. 
And sink to ashes Doneralle. 
May Charon's Boat triumphant sail. 
Completely mann'd from Doneralle. 
Oh! may my Couplets never fail. 
To find new curse for Doneralle. 
And may grim Pluto's inner gaol. 
For ever groan with Doneralle. 

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THE GAEL 



June, 1903 





In Jail with Pamell — A Reminiscence^ 

By J. M. WiIL 



ELCOME to Kilmaio- 
ham. Wall! We've 
been looking forward 
to your arrival this 
good while." Glancing 
backward o'er the long 
lapse of timo — a mere matter of 
twenty-one years or so — since this 
curious greeting was given me by 
Charles Stewart Pamell, the most suc- 
cessful political leader that Ireland has 
ever had, 1 could almost persuade my- 
self that this central episode in my 
career never happened. It all seems so 
shadowy and unreal now. 

This imprisonment for Ireland, 
nevertheless, was the pivot of my 
whole existence in those days, as It 
must have been for each of the other 
"suspects" who, braving the bluster 
of old "Buckshot" Porster, were locked 
up iD the various Jails throughout the 
country, at the whim of any Engllsn 
sjrmpathizer who had a grievance to 
exploit. 

A copy of the warrant of arrest, 
thrust into my hand by the Inspector 
ol Police, who trembled as he read it 
— ^probably through sheer shame; for 
he was an Irishman like myself — 
which I have had carefully framed and 
preserved, makes me feel, whenever I 
look at it, as though I had not been 
wholly wanting in my duty to Ireland 
In those bye-gone days. Besides, to be 
released thus early In one's career 
from the stigma of political inaction, 
was more or less of a compliment. 
Irishmen everywhere, understanding 



the situation thoroughly, share in this 
belief. 

"Not on bed of down, nor under shade 
Of canopy reposing, is heaven won." 

An American writer of distinction 
says that the soul Is but "an endless 
succession of phases of consciousness." 
Now, therefore, the phase of con- 
sciousness which I am enabled to sumr 
mon back, as the scene In the exercise 
yard, that bleak November morning 
In 1881, unfolds itself once again in 
plain view, is Indeed a precious pos- 
session. 

Parnell was out for a mouthful of 
air In the stuffy little spot, girted by 
grim walls ninety feet In height, 
through which the sky was plainly 
visible. The din of Dublin Is all but 
dead as It passes overhead; but the 
whistling and puffing of the locomo- 
tives at the railroad works at Inchl- 
core, a few miles away, may be heard 
day and night. Yells of the warders, 
urging convicts to their dally toll In 
another portion of the prison, stole up- 
on one at times. 

John Dillon was nearby, and James 
O'Kelly— "Jim" Kelly, as the boys 
used to say — and one or two other 
members of Parliament. There were 
also some who, later, became duly ac- 
credited to the great talking emporium 
near Westminster Bridge, where they 
got a chance to say things which, thus 
far at all events, they've never said. 

Two other newspaper men, besides 
myself, that I recall were there like- 



wise — Jasper TuUy and William 
O'Brien; and they continue in evi- 
dence still — more now, in fact, than 
then — both aiming well-directed blows 
at John Bull, yet both as far apart in 
temperament and modes of thought as 
any two Irishmen you can think of. 

The Earl of Cowper at this time was 
Lord Lieutenant, and W. E. Forster 
("Buckshot") Chief Secretary. In 
pleading In Parliament for a coercion 
law that would enable him to make 
arrests without indictment or trial. 
Forster had described us as "village 
tyrants" and "dissolute ruffians"; mak- 
ing use often even of the well-worn 
French phrase, drs mauvais sujets, 

I suppose "dissolute ruffians," sound- 
ing the more formidable, must have 
been meant for Parnell, and perhaps 
Dillon; while the lesser • designation 
became the sign-manual of manhood 
for the rest of us. 

The most signal proof of devotion to 
high Ideals that an Irishman can give 
is to be known In his own country as 
a political law-breaker. In these open- 
ing years of the twentieth century, 
Ireland remains the only civilized 
country where It Is an honor to be in 
jail. The English even now are un- 
able to see this; and it is my deliberate 
belief that before this insular conceit, 
or stupidity — so costly to them and so 
ruinous to Ireland — can be eradicated, 
the race will have to be made over 
again. 

People of three counties cheered me 
when I was put in prison, and pressed 



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June, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



165 



forward in their eagerness to shake 
- my hand, when the brutal peelers 
hustled me aboard the train. People 
of three counties cheered me again 
when I was let out. And yet the chief 
ground of my arrest, remember, was 
that I had been "intimidating" those 
very people! Oh, you English! 

In an alleged comic paper in London 
called 'Tunch,'* a Joke is said to have 
been discovered some sixty odd years 
ago. and it has been subsisting on the 
reputation of that one joke ever since. 
What wonder? 

The political prisoners in Kilmain- 
ham were indeed a wonderful admix- 
ture. Elach county contributed its 
quota. Varied walks of life had one 
or more representatives. Lawyers, 
doctors, newspaper men, bankers, 
priests, clerks, farmers. Members of 
Parliament and landlords jostled one 
another. The great majority were 
young, vigorous men, who had bother- 
ed England appreciably, let me tell 
you, and made it pretty hot for the 
Castle gang. This, of course, is deem- 
ed a pious duty by every Irishman 
worthy of the name; and if there be 
one among them who fails to perform 
It to the best of his ability, he cer- 
tainly will have much to answer for. 
m * * * • • ' • 

"Would you believe it. Father 
Healy," said Gladstone, "that when I 
was in Rome I was assured that 1 
could have a plenary indulgence for 
ten pounds?" 



"Ten pounds!" Father Healy ejacu- 
lated. "Well, then, anybody that'd 
give ifou a plenary indulgence for ten. 
pounds, Mr. Gladstone, would be lett- 
ing you off mighty cheap, let me tell 
you!" 
******* 

"Welcome to Kilmainham!" There 
stood a man in a long flowing robe of 
eider-down; on which were fanciful 
tracings of birds and flowers and 
things. A silk smoking-cap, deep pur- 
ple in color, covered his dome of 
thought. He had a whole lot of ar- 
ticles of that kind, no two alike, work- 
ed by patriotic women in different 
parts of the country and forwarded to 
the imprisoned chief. I ha() never 
seen Parnell in what I may call under- 
dress before, so I was a bit confused, 
not recognizing him at the moment. 
He kept smiling and waiting, while 
the rest of the prisoners formed a ring 
around us almost before 1 was aware 
what had happened. 

"Welcome to Kilmainham," said he 
again and put out his hand. "You 
would scarcely call this an Irish wel- 
come, Mr. Parnell?" 1 ventured. He 
held my hand, looking up at the high 
walls the while. "Possibly not Wall," 
said he, "but then you must remember 
that within this inclosure we may be 
said to be on English rather tiian Irish 
territory." 

This clever turn, so unusual with 
him, made everybody laugh. The 
prisoners then resumed their circular. 



tramp around the narrow inclosuie, 
Jasper TuUy and Parnell alone re- 
maining to continue the conversation. 
I had had full charge of Tully's paper, 
"The Roscommon Herald," and my ar- 
rest came as a big blow to the busi- 
ness, there being nobody at the mo- 
ment competent to take my place. 

"Tully, I suppose you don't like to 
see Wall here?" said Parnell sud- 
denly. 

"Why not?" said Tully. 

"Your paper, you know," continued 
Parnell. 

"On the contrary, Mr. Parnell," an- 
swered Tully bluntly, "I'm delighted 
to see him here; for I consider it the 
best proof that he has done his duty." 

"Quite right, Tully," Parnell replied; 
"but I do not forget that you yourself 
laid a good solid foundation in both 
Leitrim and Roscommon before we 
sent Wall over there." 

Jasper Tully has, since then, it is 
but fair to say, undergone more petty 
and persistent persecution and prose- 
cution at the hands of the English 
Government than probably any other 
man in Ireland, with the exception of 
Edward McHugh, M. P., whose news- 
paper property "The Sligo Champion," 
was burst up completely through the 
same malign agency. Tully flguu his 
corner to the last inch, permitting no 
man to do his thinking; a poUcy so 
rare in public men that it deseii'es to 
be spread upon the record. He has 
been imprisoned fully a half-dozen 




BNTRANCS TO KILMAINHAM PRISON. 



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166 



THE GAEL. 



June, 1903. 



times since sleeping on a plank bed 
and starving on prison fare. 

He has done more than a man s part 
In helping undermine landlorJisiu A 
peaceful agitator nominally, he con- 
siders all Parliamentary effort a means 
to an end merely. There is tir.ouglit 
behind every line he pens, every 
phrase he utters. Flamboyant rhetoric 
and he are not even on speaking terms. 
"I'm nothing but an old gradgrind, 
Wall," I've often heard him jay. All 
very fine, but the more gradgrlnds of 
his stamp In the service of Ireland the 
better for Ireland. 

Under a native Parliament, It ^ould 
be impossible to ignore such a man as 
Tully, for he is fitted to command in 
any department of the public service. 
He has the industry and tenacity of 
Joe Biggar; and anyone who has 
followed current Parliamentary 
history knows that it was this 
sturdy Belfast Presbyterian who 
made Pamell himself possible. 

I know of no more fitting man- 
ner to refer to Jasper Tully, this 
tireless fighter for Ireland, than 
by describing him as a Boer. He 
may be overwhelmed by sheer 
weight of numbers, as were the 
Boers; but to vanquish Tully in 
argument, even the cleverest 
Member of the House of Com- 
mons would find it essential to 
arise before the sun was seen 
peeping irom behind the hills. 
Irishmen should not fail to rec- 
ognize the disinterested and 
loyal service he has rendered 
from the day when, a mere boy, 
twenty-two years ago, he quitted 
Summer Hill College, Athlone, to 
this very hour. 

As a brother newspaper man, 
I have followed his fight for Ire- 
land, as recorded in the news- 
papers on both sides of the 
ocean, and I am enabled to ten- 
der this voluntary tribute all the 
more freely, in that I have neith- 
er seen Tully nor heard from 
him during all that time. I hope, 
however, I may not die before I 
have a chance of again taking 
him by the hand and squeezing 
It good and hard. 

Pamell was quartered in a sec- 
tion of the great building sep- 
arated from the main body of 
the "suspects"; but it was his 
custom, two or three times a 
week, to come into the yard and march 
round the ring with the rest of us, 
taking exercise. Sometimes he absent- 
ed himself for long periods, showing 
himself then for only a few minutes 
at a time; so that there were some 
among the new arrivals who never 
got a chance to see him at all. 

What I may call the Kerry delega- 
tion was numerous, aggressive and 
picturesque, and were the subject 
of as much comment among the 
city chajps,- who thought that they 
themselves were "the whole thing," as 
Shane O'Neill and his followers were 
said to be when they foregathered at 
the court of Elizabeth. Among them 
was a big, brawny fellow named Ned 
Hussey, whom I remember well. If he 



could only get a good look at Pamell, 
whom he had never seen, he would, so 
it was declared, "die aisy." 

"Ned," said I to him one day, "would 
you like to see Parnell?" 

"Would I like to see Parnell," he 
echoed. "Would a monkey climb a 
tree!" 

"Very well then; come along," and 
I led him from the exercise yard into 
what was known as the association 
hall. This was a spacious indoor 
apartment, roofed with glass, where 
those who were not robust, or who 
wished to avoid the crowd, elected to 
remain until the bell warning us back 
to our cells rang out. ' Parnell, 
wrapped as usual in his dressing gown, 
happened on this occasion to be wrapt 
also in a game of chess with P. J. 




J. M. WALL. 

Murphy, of Cork. Sitting around were 
Dr. Cardiff, a prominent Wexford phy- 
sician, whose efforts to sustain a 
wholly inequitable allotment of adi- 
pose tissue and look dignified at the 
same time, made his movements seem 
cumbersome and languid; "Long 
John" O'Connor, of Cork; William 
O'Brien, William Abraham, of Limer- 
ick; Mr. Carew, who used to show a 
gold snuff-box the Empress of Austria 
gave him when she had a hunting box 
in Meath; Dr. Kenny, M. P., of Dub- 
lin, and a number of others. 

"There's Parnell now," said I. 

"Which wan, Misther Wall?" said 
Ned eagerly. 

"The man playing there. He's fac- 
ing you now; see.'* 



"Do ye mane th' man wid th* bed- 
tick around him?" 

A nod was all the response I was 
able to make; I couldn't trust myself 
to speak. As it was, I had as much as 
ever I could do to hold in. 

"Glory be to the Heavenly Father!" 
he ejaculated, loud enough for every- 
body to hear; "an' do ye teU me for 
a fact that that's Parnell?" 

"That's the very man, Ned, me boy," 
I said. 

He seized my hand on the moment, 
giving it a firm and, can I not say, 
vicarious squeeze. 

"Shure, man alive," exclaimed the 
poor fellow, tears of genuine delight 
streaming down his cheeks, and a 
quiver of nervous enthusiasm throb- 
bing through every part of his big 
body; "shure, man alive, I 
wouldn't ask bether fun, Misther 
Wall, than fightin' an dyin* for 
a man like that!" 

"And so would every one of 
us. Ned," I said. 

"An' so we ought, Misther 
Wall," he whispered, still grip- 
ping me hard. 

"And so we ought, Ned, me 
boy," I repeated, the enthusiasm 
of this simple Kerry peasant In- 
fecting me as quickly as living 
organisms stir the blood, or a 
measure of strong drink urges 
the heart to unwonted activity. 

"Shure, Misther Wall," he re- 
sumer, "Parnell med most o' 
thim Mlmbers of Parliament, 
that thinks they're such grreat 
fellows; so he did. Oh, I know. 
I tell ye, I wouldn't ask betiier 
fun than dyin' for a man like 
that, Misther Wall," he repeated. 
There was a certain prophetic 
eagerness in the poor fellow's 
words which impressed me as 
well as startled me. Within a 
few brief years there came, not 
alone to every man who had 
been in Kilmainham jail, but to 
every man in Ireland as well, an 
opportunity, not, indeed. If you 
please, of dying for Parnell, bat 
of living for him and of fig^ht- 
Ing for him. But, alas! the op- 
portunity was suffered to pass 
unheeded. All of a sudden this 
mighty leader himself died. 
They gave him in Dublin the 
greatest funeral ever given an 
Irishman. Of course, they did; 
and as the tearful tens of thousands 
followed the body to the National 
Cemetery in Glasnevin there came over 
the Cromwellians a broad grin, and 
they whispered each to the other: 
"There goes one more EJnglish difficulty 
that the Irish themselves have settled 
for us." 

"Do not," he pleaded passionately, in 
his memorable manifesto "To the Peo- 
ple of Ireland," "do not throw me to 
a pack of English wolves who are 
howling for my destruction." It was a 
vain appeal. They did throw him to 
the wolves; and, what is more remark- 
able, it was the Irish themselves who 
turned out to be the wolves, and not 
the English. It was a cowardly and 
ignoble abandonment of a great man, 



June, Í903. 



THE GAEU 



167 



who had brought the case of Ireland 
before the whole world; won over 
Scotland and Wales and split England 
herself into two hostile camps, where 
before she had been an opposing unit. 

The Parnell episode, one of the sad- 
dest in the history of our unhappy 
country, is merely a memory now, but 
it will be many a long day before the 
misfortune which the desertion of this 
great statesman brought upon Ire- 
land can be atoned for. In the opin- 
ion of many, it never can be atoned 
for. 

Forster, to whom Parnell referred 
in a speech at Galway as "this hyix)- 
critical, humanitarian Secretary Buck- 
shot Forster," because he had ordered 
buckshot served to those policemen 
who were assigned to evictions, died 
leaving this ignominious epithet his 
most prominent mark of identification 
from end to end of the land. His dy- 
ing words were reported to be: ''No 
Home Rule." 

Some wag wanted it understood that 
there was a way of reading the phrase 
— and that, too, the correct way, he 
even asserted— which would show that 
the old despot repented at the last mo- 
ment; and that was by inserting a 
semicolon after "No." It is too subtle 
a distinction, however, to waste words 
upon at this late day. 

Forster could do mean things to a 
political opponent; but perhaps the 
meanest thing of which he was guilty 
was to peer through the bars one day 
at Parnell, while he happened to be 
taking exercise with the other pris- 
oners in the association hall. The in- 
cident has never before been referred 
to; and as I find it in the manuscript 
of my little "Jail Journal." which 1 
haTe preserved all those years, and of 
part of which this article is merely a 
transcript, I make mention of it now 
for the first time. 

Captain Barlow, as I remember, was 
chairman of the Prisons Board. We 
knew that from the record. Forster's 
face and lumbering, uncouth figure 
were familiar to everybody, for they 
had been published far and wide, more 
especially since the designation "Buck- 
shot" Forster had been given him. A 
few of us. who were "on the inside," 
got the tip from one of the warders 
that the Cnief Secretary was visiting 
the prison; and so we were on the 
watch. Parnell himself was unaware 
of It 

Presently, on the outer side of the 
iron-barred gate leading to the hall, a 
group of solemn-visaged men. all well 
fed and comfortably dressed, gathered 
and talked in barely audible tones. 
There sure enough stood old Forster 
and his bushy beard, a group of Prison 
Board people with him. 

They had come, no 'doubt, to see the 
animals. Captain Dennehy, the Gov- 
ernor — I think that was his name — 
stood alongside, fianked by Patterson, 
the Deputy Governor. Captain Den- 
nehy, as I remember, was a Catholic; 
which surely ought, of itself, have 
made every man of us a loyal subject 
of the Queen — were it not that the 
Irish are known to be such an incor- 
rigible race! Not far away was Searle 



the chief warder, jingling the keys. He 
was frequently in full control. 

A sleeky oily customer was Searle, 
his grey eyes denoting cruelty, had he 
the opportunity to be cruel. I can see 
him plainly now. I never looked at 
this official without thinking of Dr. 
Trevor, who had charge of that same 
Kilmainham jail, when Robert Emmet 
was led forth to execution, one hun- 
dred years ago; and whose merciless 
treatment of the political prisoners of 
that day was a counterpart of the con- 
duct of the notorious Cunningham, 
who had charge of the old hell-hole in 
City Hall Park, New York, whence 
Nathan Hale marched out to the gal- 
lows. Searle had come originally 
from out the Orange preserve in Ul- 
ster, and had a perpetual grin, but, of 
course, no country. He Just looked it. 
too. There they stayed, the personi- 
fication of robber strength and secur- 
ity, until Parnell had passed by. 

I know he didn't see them; but it is 
my impression that he heard after- 
wards of the incident How it affected 
him, or whether he suffered it to af- 
fect him at all, can probably never be 
told, for Parnell cultivated the art of 
inward feeling in a way common to no 
other man of note who has ever ap- 
peared in the history of our hapless 
land. 

But how mean and unmanly was all 
this. The doings of England in Ireland 
reek with Just such petty provocations. 
After the Fashoda affair and during 
the Boer war. Premier Salisbury, com- 
plaining of the criticism of England 
by the French newspapers and French 
public men. spoke of it protestingly as 
a series of pin pricks." 

England should be the last to make 
complaint of that kind, in view of her 
behavior toward our people. Bereft of 
imagination themselves, the English 
appear unable to understand that there 
can be any form of pain save bodily 
pain — a primary emotion merely, that 
might arouse a pig as readily as it 
would arouse a man. 

The lord and master at St Helena 
for a time during the imprisonment of 
Napoleon was Sir Hudson Lowe— a 
village Dogberry on a tuppeny throne. 
His methods and "Buckshot" Forster's 
methods were strikingly alike. Lowe 
made life hell for Napoleon by his vin- 
dictive pettiness. 

His conduct reached the straining 
point on a certain occasion, when this 
one-horse squireen invited his distin- 
guished prisoner, the man who had 
made and unmade kings and king- 
doms, and on whose brain at one time 
the safety of the British Empire had 
hung, to dinner "to meet the Coun- 
tess." 

For very shame's sake, the Govern- 
ment sent him at last about his busi- 
ness, just as it did Forster, if I'm not 
mistaken. But it was then too late; 
the damage had been done. Surely, 
they are an unnatural lot those 
English; especially when their re- 
lations with Ireland come to be 
reckoned. 

My space is all but spent, so I shall 
close. What remains to be said in 



closing? Ah, me! There remains more 
to be saiQ of those Kilmainham days 
than I could squeeze into a score such 
articles as this; more, probably, than 
I shall ever find time to say. Here 
now it lies beside me in manuscript, 
and in the rough, my little "jail jour- 
nal," exactly as it was penned from 
day to day. twenty-one years ago, 
when each incident was fresh, each 
personality vivid, and each conclu- 
sion, in a measure, it maybe, imma- 
ture. 

As reflection must precede conclu- 
sion, if we are to think aright I was 
given most of all to the former pro- 
cess of thought in those days; to the 
latter in these. If I should describe 
my lot as irksome, rather than un- 
happy, the situation would appear fair- 
ly clear. Browning tells how 

"Irks care the crop-full bird — 

Frets doubt the maw-crammed beast" 

But as we were neither "crop-full" nor 
"maw-crammed," the "irks" and the 
"frets" must have proceeded from 
other causes. 

Each day was but a repetition of the 
preceding one, save when our little 
colony was increased by the arrival of 
some prominent "suspect" from the 
outside, around whom we gathered to 
learn how the fight was going on. With 
the approach of Christmas, everybody 
became gloomy. Parnell was ilL Cer- 
tain petty punishment had been visit- 
ed on him because he had tendered 
one of the warders, a fellow named 
White, a half-sovereign to take out a 
letter. 

What Jasper Tully amusingly de- 
scribed as "skilly and whack." had 
been our diet during some months; 
but Christmas Day, for the first time, 
we were regaled from the outside at 
our own expense; and in the interior 
of more than one dead fowl delivered 
at the prison that memorable Christ- 
mas morning, there was found tucked 
away a tiny bottle of something which 
cannot with truth be described as gin- 
ger ale! 

As I lay down to sleep that night 1 
can say that all present troubles seem^ 
ed for the moment dissipated, and I 
lived and moved in some vast, un- 
known realm, where there were neith- 
er prisons nor coercion acts, and where 
the might of England had been more 
than once successfully defieci. 

"I cannot paint my dream; it was so 
bright. 
So fraught with dazzling radiance 
to me 
It threw a glamor o'er my wildered 
sight 
And left me blinded by my ecstacy. 
My longing soul essayed in vain to 
soar 
Beyond the shining path of sun and 
stars. 
But all too soon she languished as de- 
fore, 
Panting and worn, behind her prison 
bars! 



New 



York, May 13, 1903) OQIC 



Í68 THE 

When Lucan Died* 

[An Irish Vidette'B Soliloquy In FUtnders.] 



GAEL^ 



June, J903* 




STATUE OP PATRICK SAR8PIBLD, EARL OP LUCAN, 
AT LIMERICK 

UNDER the stars the camp-fires quiver, 
Under the stars the sleeping host. 
The windmill gaunt by tne sluggish nver 
Waves its arms like a warning ghost. 
Mallacht go leor on this Flemish mireland, 

Flat as army soup, dull as lead, 
Give me the fine old days In Ireland 

When Lucan led. 
Sunny valley and hill in Ireland, 

When Lucan led! 

Soul of honor, as firm, unmoving. 

As oak tree set on a Gaelic dun. 
Valorous heart, strong hand for proving, 

And face that cheered like the Irish sun! 
Happy the camp when — fight or raiding— 

"Boot and saddle" the trumpet sped; 
Glad was the mount and swift parading 

When Lucan led. 
Blood and fire all felt like wading 

When Lucan lea! 

Jingle of steel and creak of leather. 

Cavalry ranks in brave array; 
"Ready, ma bouchalH, spur together, ^ 

Lively work for our blades to-day^ 
Charge!" — and his guiding sword is throwing 

Rings of light round his kingly head: 
Farcer gair for the Saxon's showing 

When Lucan led, 
Crimson the crop and fierce the mowing 

When Lucan led! 

Memory comes of an action featy: 
The sentry's challenge, the answer clear. 

As our squadrons thundered on Bally neety, 
"The word is *Sarsfield' — the man is here!" 

And the man was there with a sword unsparing. 
And the mighty guns, 'mid a pile of dead. 



Were blown to the sky for the good of Erin 

When Lucan led. 
The grandest light ever flashed in Erin — 

When Lucan led! 

Mo bhron the change — decay, inaction, 

Ruined castles and broken men. 
The devil's hoof of the foreign faction 

Desecrating each hallowed glen; 
The Limerick scroll is defiled and tattered. 

Tyrants swagger where heroes bled. 
The cream of our race exiled and scattered 

Since Lucan led, 
Erin a hulk by the billows battered 

Since Lucan led! 

Lost to the old land? Lucan? Never! 
Waits and watches his fa^ithful soul 
To help his people their bonds to sever 

When the trumpets ring and the volleys roll, 
They'll seem to see, 'mid the tumult gory. 
His stately shade at their charging head. 
And they'll fight as their fathers fought in story 

When Lucan led. 
With the force and fire, with the glee and glory 

When Sarsfield led! 
Chicago. —P. G. SMYTH. 



"Bcyant the Bog/' 

I'M sittin' alone lookin' out to the West 
Where the light of the day is dyin'. 
And a sob swells up in my weary breast. 
And the tears from my eyes Tm dryin'; 
For Shaun my boy is goin' away. 
He says to me he'll come back some day; 
But I'm thinkin' he'll sleep in the stranger's clay. 
In the world beyant the Bog! 

Our world was here by the bogland side, 
With the heather around us bloomin' 
And stretchin' away from us far and wide 
To the hills in the Eastward loomin'. 

Our home was small but 'twas all our own. 

Mo hhron, 'tis now 'twill be sad and lone, 

For Its light and its hope will soon be goin' 

To the world beyant the Bog! 

1 thought that he'd stay with us always here; 
Sure 'twas only a mother's dreamin' 
His father's path, and my own, to cheer 
Till we'd see God's home-lights gleamin'. 

My pride was he, so fair and tall; 

How my poor heart wailed like the Banshee's call. 

When he said, "1*11 be goin' in the early Fall, 

To the world beyant the Bog!" 

He says that he'll send me a stire of gold. 

But 'tis little I care about It; 

For all he may say it is poor and cold 

And I'd rather have him, without it 
For 'twould be like sellln' our own ceanavan, 
For a faded rose from the stranger's lawn, 
If I'd look In vain for my brown-eyed Shaun 
To the world beyant the Bog! 

Dublin. BRIAN O'HIGQINS. 




Digitized by 



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June, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



169 




Pen Sketch of George Wyndham» 



GEORGE WTNDHAM, the father 
of the new Irish Land bill, which 
Is to bring peace and a large 
measure of contentment to Ireland, 
"walks delicately/' possesses a great 
air of distinction and refinement, and 
is always wonderfully well groomed 
and courteous. 

Not yet forty, he has, 'after a bril- 
liant career in subordinate offices of 
the administration, swung himself dur- 
ing the last few weeks by his wonder- 
fully clever Irish Land bill into the 
very forefront of EnglieAi statesman- 
ship, and has come to be looked upon 
as the most striking individuality and 
as the most powerful force in the 
Cabinet, with the exception of Joseph 
Chamberlain. Indeed, rumors are al- 
ready in circulation to the effect 
that to him may be offered the 
succession to the Premiership on 
the retirement of Arthur Bal- 
four, which is regarded in many 
quarters as imminent. 

George Wyndham, however, is 
Conservative, like his father, the 
Hon. Percy Wyndham, and since 
by his successful treatment of 
the Irish question, which has 
been the bugbear of every suc- 
cessive administration in Down- 
ing Street for the last hundred 
years or more, he has proved 
himself to be a statesman of the 
foremost rank, it is exceedingly 
probable that he will be called 
upon ere long to take the place 
of Arthur Balfour as Prime Min- 
ister of the British Empire. 

He has achieved what has un- 
til now been regarded as the im- 
possible task of reconciling the 
confiicting interests of Irish 
landlord and Irish tenant in 
such a manner as to command 
the good will and the approval of 
Englishmen of every shade of 
political opinion, and this feat 
in itself is looked upon as one 
which demonstrates his qualifi- 
cations for the assumption of 
the helm of the British ship of 
state. 

George Wyndham has a 
strong strain of fine old Irish 
blood in his veins, a circum- 
stance which goes far to account 
for his versatile brillancy. 



Author of the New Irish Land Bill. 

For he is a great-grandson of Lord 
Edward Fitzgerald, son of the first 
Duke of Leinster, who sacrificed his 
life at the end of the eighteenth cen- 
tury to the Irish cause. Lord Edward 
took part in the American War of In- 
dependence, fighting in the English 
ranks, and being so seriously wounded 
in one of the engagements that he was 
left for dead. For a time he figured 
conspicuously in the famous Grattan 
Parliament in Dublin, but left it after 
being cashiered from the army for at- 
tending a banquet at Paris at which he 
avowed his sympathy with the French 
Revolution and publicly renounced his 
title of nobility. 

It was during his stay on the banks 
of the Seine that he married the fa- 




MR. OBOROB WYNDHAM. 



mous Pamela, daughter of that Duke 
of Orleans who was, on account of his 
republican sympathies, nicknamed 
**Egalité," and of Mme. de Genlis, and 
on his return to Ireland with her Join- 
ed the Society of United Irishmen, and 
for the next few years took a very ac- 
tive part in the Irish revolutionary 
movement, of which he became one of 
the leaders. 

Betrayed into the hands of the po- 
lice, he was arrested after a desperate 
struggle, during which he was severely 
wounded, and after being incarcerated 
first in Dublin Castle, and subsequent- 
ly at Newgate, in London, succumbed 
in the latter prison to his injuries. 

His widow. Lady Edward Fitzgerald, 
a half-sister of King Louis Philippe of 
France, subsequently married a 
Mr. Pitcairn, the United States 
Consul at Hamburg, but eventu- 
ally separated from him, and 
died in considerable poverty at 
Paris about seventy years ago. 
Lord and Lady Edward Fitzger 
aid had only one child, a daugh- 
ter Pamela, who married Gen- 
eral Sir Guy Campbell, and 
their daughter Madeline is the 
mother of the Right Hon. George 
Wyndham, the Secretary for Ire- 
land. On his father's side the 
latter is the grandson of the first 
Lord Leconfleld, and among his 
sisters are Lady Elcho, Mrs. 
Charles Adeane and Mrs. G. P. 
Tenant. 

Henry Labouchere, M. P., the 
genial proprietor of London 
"Truth," on one occasion divided 
the apple of beauty, as far as the 
House of Commons is concerned, 
between the late Lord Russell of 
Killowen, who had not at that 
time been raised to the peerage, 
and George Wyndham. As to the 
justice of this award there can 
be no question. For the Irish 
Secretary is a remarkably hand- 
some man, tall, slight, with well- 
cut features, fine eyes, to which 
long lashes give an air of gen- 
tleness, and dark hair, now 
slightly silvered with premature 
gray, which, however, merely 
serves to emphasize the youth 
and thij distinction of the face. 
He is sympatji^ically courteous, 

Digitized by V^OOQIC 



J70 



THE GAEU 



June, 1903* 



too, and has, besides, that sincerity of 
speech which usually accompanies 
good brains. 

Ue started life as a soldier, and as 
an officer of the Coldstream Guards 
took part in the Suakim campaign 
against the Dervishes, receiving both 
the English medal and the Khedival 
■tar for his services. He left the army 
to become private secretary to his 
close friend, Arthur Balfour, when the 
latter was in charge of the Irish De* 
partment, and attracted public atten- 
tion by the controversial letters which 
he published in tiie London daily pa- 
pers in defence of his chief and of the 
latter's policy. 

The mastery of fact which they 
showed was so great, and the hitting 
80 hard and so neatly placed that the 
public at first imagined that they came 
from the pen of Mr. Balfour himself. 
Nor was it until the Tory leaders nom- 
inated him as the Conservative candi- 
date for Dover, and he entered the 
House of Commons as member for that 
constituency, that the public realized 
that he was fully capable of having 
written the letters in question. He 
soon made a mark for himself at West- 
minster, and ere long was appointed 
to the financial secretaryship of the 
War Department. 

The period which the Conservatives 
were out of office — namely, from 1892 
to 1895 — he devoted to travel in South 
Africa, and. after thoroughly master- 
ing the problems connected with that 
portion of the world, attached him- 
self to the fortunes of Cecil Rhodes, 
acting as the semi-official representa- 
tive of the latter in the House of Com- 
mons, and likewise championing his 
cause on the South African Parliamen- 
tary Committee, appointed to investi- 
gate the Jameson raid and the affairs 
of his chartered company. 

On Lord Curzon's being promoted to 
the Vice-royalty of India, and St. John 
Brodrick being selected to take hts 
place as assistant to Lord Salisbury at 
the Foreign Office, Mr. Wyndham was 
appointed to the Under Secretaryship 
of State for War, and during the ear- 
lier stages of the Boer War performed 
in a wDnderfully clever manner the 
difficult and ungrateful task of explaifi- 
ing to a terribly disappointed people 
how it had happened that an army on 
which they had for years been spend- 
ing almost as much money as is de- 
voted annually by Germany to military 
expenses should have met with the 
most humiliating reverses on the first 
occasion that it was called upon to en- 
counter white men instead of Asiatics 
and Africans. 

Not only did he succeed in doing this 
to such an extent that popular confi- 
dence was restored in the defeated 
troops and outmanoeuvred generals, 
but he likewise, by his eloquence, call- 
ed forth a burst of patriotism suffi- 
ciently strong to silence to a great ex- 
tent party differences, and to lead men 
of rival political factions to resolve to 
support the government in its efforts 
to carry the war to a successful issue. 

On the next ministerial reorganiza- 
tion Lord Salisbury assigned the post 
of Irish Secretary to George Wyndham 



and so well did he fulfil popular ex- 
pectations in connection with his man- 
agement of this most difficult and ard- 
uous post of the entire administration 
that when Arthur Balfour became 
Premier George WyndhAm was admit- 
ted to the Cabinet, in which he is Ire- 
land's chief representative. 

Although Mr. Wyndham's official 
title is that of Chief Secretary to the 
Lord Lieutenant and Viceroy of Ire- 
land, yet he is virtually the latter's 
superior officer. For the present Vi- 
ceroy, Lord Dudley, does not have a 
seat in the Cabinet, and is merely the 
titular executive of measures decided 
upon by the Cabinet, on the recom- 
mendation and suggestion of George 
Wyndham, who is to a far greater ex- 
tent than the Viceroy the real admin- 
istrator and ruler of the Emerald Isle. 

George Wyndham, although on the 
sunny side of forty, can boast of being 
a grandfather; that is to say, he has 
step-grandchildren. For his wife has 
a son and two daughters by her form- 
er marriage to the late Earl Grosve- 
nor, who have all three married and 
have children. The son is the Duke of 
Westminster; one of the daughters is 
the Countess of Shaftesbury, and the 
other the Countess of Beauchamp. The 
Irish Secretary has also a boy of his 
own, now some sixteen years of age, 
who gives promise of inheriting his. 
father's good k>oks, his brilliancy and' 
his passion for fox hunting. 



vanced. Certain friends have, so far, 
unaccountably forgotten the matter of 
tbeir annual subscriptions. To defer 
such necessary duties much longer 
would be a bad break with London 
traditions. 



Gaelic Ltagixtf London* 

THE Gaelic League in London has 
had several local entertainments 
.of a special character during the 
month Just closed. Each of them 
would really merit a long description. 
The localities in some ways suggest 
quite different worlds; from Kensing- 
tpn, or Fulham, or Clapham to East 
London is a long journey, in more than 
one sense. 

Few things can better illustrate the 
spirit prevailing in the League than 
the fact that one system and purpose 
work out so harmoniously and well in 
these widehr different areas. Many of 
thQ^e respohsible for local dchools sel- 
dom come under the general ken, but 
they are among the v^ best workers 
lii the League. ^ 

At headquarters the vfirious sub- 
committees have done a surprising 
amount of detailed work of late. 
Teaching, organization, entertainment, 
industrial and financial matters are 
carried out in a smooth and scientific 
way that is suggestive of long-estab- 
lished and specialist departments. The 
main work of the League will be con- 
tinued as usual throughout the Sum- 
mer, with the addition of the popular 
SeiHQ. 

The examination scheme for 1904 is 
already far advanced. Irish history 
will have a considerable place in the 
programme, and in connection with the 
Feis planned for next year there will 
probably be several artistic competi- 
tions. Preparations for the Aonach of 
the coming Summer are being ad- 



Thc Irish Woolen Industry* 

THAT Ireland is making very con- 
siderable advance industrially 
is beyond question. Evidences 
thereof are multiplying on all sides. 
But perhaps in no line are we making 
such progress as in the woollen indus- 
try. Here in the South many new 
mills have been established in recent 
years; and they, as well as the woollen 
factories previously in existence, it is 
gratifying to learn, are all thriving 
and prosperous. 

In the North of Ireland it would 
seem that of late years there has been 
a considerable development of woollen 
manufactures; so that altogether it 
would really appear as if Ireland were 
destined to recover the pre-eminence 
in this particular industry that she en- 
Joyed before selfish British laws crush- 
ed it out 

We need not point out to our read- 
ers that it is the duty of all Irishmen 
to help in the retrieving of our olden 
supremacy in this direction, and the 
effective way to do so is to purchase 
only the products of Irish woollen 
mills. There is absolutely no excuse 
for Irishmen purchasing English or 
Scotch tweeds. It is beyond doubt 
that the tweeds produced in this coun- 
try cannot be excelled for durability, 
beauty and cheapness. 

There may have been some justifica- 
tion in former years for the complaint 
that Irish tweeds were not equal to 
E#nglish or Scotch In beauty of design 
and that there was little variety in the 
patterns. But of late years Irish 
manufacturers have made great ad- 
vances in these respects, as was abund- 
antly evidenced by the display of 
handsome tweeds at the Cork Exhi- 
bition of 1902; so that even the poor 
defence formerly pleaded by the un- 
patriotic Irishmen who were unwilling 
to patronize the home-made article 
will no longer avail. 

One of the most successful woollen 
mills in the North of Ireland is that 
of Mr. John Haldane, Newry, County 
Down. Mr.' Haldane had the advan- 
tage of a long and practical experience 
with some of the leading firms In Scot- 
hind and Ireland, and the articles he 
himself turns out now are really first- 
class. 

Among the goods manufactured by 
him are cheviot tweeds (made from 
the best Irish wool), homespuns, in- 
digo blue and woaded black serges, 
Irish frieze, blankets, shawls, flannel 
and plaiding. car and traveling rugs, 
wool shirting and knitting yams. 
These articles can be had direct from 
the manufacturer at mill prices, and 
he pays carriage on all parcels to any 
address. Patterns are supplied post 
free. — Weekly Rastmiiner, Cork. 

Digitized by L3OOQ IC 



June, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



171 




MAEVE, the great queen, was pacing to and fro, 
Between the walls covered with beaten bronze 
In her high house at Cruachan; the long hearth. 
Flickering with ash and hazel, but half showed 
Where the tired horse-boys lay upon the rushes, 
Or on the benches underneath the walls. 
In comfortable sleep. All living slept; 
But that great queen, who more than half the night 
Had paced from door to fire, and fire to door. #> 

Though now in her old age, in her young age 
She had been beautiful in that old way 
That's all but gone, for the proud heart is gone, 
And the fool heart of the counting-house fears ail 
But soft beauty and indolent desire. 
She could have called over the rim of the world 
Whatever woman's lover had hit her fancy. 
And yet had been great bodied and great limbed, 
Fashioned to be the mother of strong children, 
And she'd had lucky eyes and a high heart. 
And wisdom that caught fire like the dried flax. 
At need, and made her beautiful and fierce. 
Sudden and laughing. 

O, unquiet heart, 
Why do you praise another, praising her 
As if there were no tale but your own tale 
Worth knitting to a measure of sweet sound! 
Have I not bid you tell of that great queen 
Who has been buried some two thousand years? 



When nl^t was at its deepest, a wild goose 
Cried from the porter's lodge, and with long clamor 
Shook the ale-horns and shields upon their hooks. 
But the horse-boys slept on, as though some power 
Had filled the house with Druid heaviness; 
And wondering who of the many-changing Sldhe 
Had come, as in old times, to counsel her, 
Maeve walked, yet with slow footfall, being old. 
To that small chamber by the outer gaite. 



The porter slept, although he sat upright 

With 9till and stony limbs and open eyes. 

Maeve waited, and when that ear-piercing noise 

Broke from his parted lips, and broke again. 

She laid a hand on either of his shoulders 

And shook him wide awake, and bid him say: 

Who of the wandering many-changing ones 

Had troubled his sleep. But all he had to say 

Was that the air, being heavy, and the dogs 

More still than they had been for a good month, 

He had fallen asleep, and though he had dreamed nothing, 

He could remember when he had had fine dreams, 

It was before the time of the great war 

Over the White-horned Bull, and the Brown Bull. 



She turned away; he turned again to sleep, 

That no god troubled now, and, wondering 

What matters were afoot among the Sidhe, 

Maeve walked through that great hall, and with a sigb 

Lifted the curtain of her sleeping-room. 

Remembering that she, too, had seemed divine 

To many thousand eyes, and to her own 

One that the generations had long waited 

Tliat work too difficult for mortal hands 

Might be accomplished. Bunching the curtain up 

She saw her husband. Ail ell, sleeping there. 

And thought of days when he'd had a straight body. 

And of that famous Fergus, Nessa's husband, 

Who had been the lover of her middle life. 

Suddenly Ailell spoke out of his sleep. 

And not with his own voice, or a man's voice, 

But with the burning, live, unshaken voice 

Of those that it may be shall never fade. 

He said, "High queen of Cruachan and Magh Ai, 

A king of the Great Plain would speak with you." 

And with glad voice Maeve answered him, "What king 

Of the far-wandering shadows has come to me, 

Ap in the old days, when they would oome and go 

About my threshold to counsel and to help?" 

The parted lips replied, "I seek your help, 

For I am Aengus, and I am crossed in love." 

"How may a mortal whose life gutters out, 

Help them that wander, with hand clasping hand. 

By rivers where the rain has never dimmed 

Their haughty images that cannot fade, 

For all their beauty, like a hollow dream?" 

"I come from the undimmed rivers to bid you call 

The children of the Maines out of sleep, 

And sot them digging into Anbual's hill. 

We shadows, while tjiey uproot his earthy house. 

Will overthrow his shadows, and carry oft 

Gaer, his blue-eyed daughter, that I love. 

I helped your fatherp when they built these walls. 

And I would have your help in my great need, 

Queen of high Cruachan." 

"I obey your will 
With speedy feet and a most thankful heart. 
For you have been, O Aengus of the birds, ' 
Our giver of good counsel and good luck." 
And with a groan as it the mortal breath 
Could but awaken sadly upon lips 
That happier breath had moved, her husband turned 
Face downward, tossing in a troubled sleep; 
But Maeve, and not with a slow, feeble foot, 
Came to the threshold of the painted house, 
Where her grand-children slept, and cried aloud 
Until the pillared dark began to stir 
With shouting and the clang of unhooked^ai^ms. 



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THE GAEU 



June» 1903« 



She told them of the many-changing ones; 
And all that night, and all through the next day 
To middle night they dug into the hill. 
At middle night, great cats with silver claws, 
Bodies of shadow, and blind eyes like pearls, 
Game up out of the hole, and red-eared hounds 
With long white bodies came out of the air 
Suddenly, and ran at them and harried them. 

The Maines' children dropped their spades and stood 

With quaking Joints and terror-stricken faces. 

Tin Maeve called out, "These are but common men. 

The Maines' children have not dropped their spades 

Because Earth, crazy for its broken power. 

Casts up a show, and the winds answer it 

With holy shadows." Her high heart was glad. 

And when the uproar ran along the grass, 

She followed with light footfall in the midst. 

Till it died out where an old thorn tree stood. 

Friend of these many years, you too have stood 

With equal courage In that whirling rout. 

For you, although you have not her wandering heart 

Have all that greatness, and not hers alone. 

For there is no high story about queens 

In any ancient book but tells of you, 

And when I've heard how they grew old and died, 

Or fell into unhappiness, I've said, 

"She will grow old, and die, and she has wept," 

And when I'd write it out anew, the words 

Half crazy with the thought, "she too has wept," 

Outrun the measure. 

I'd tell of that groat queen. 
Who stood amid a silence by the thorn 
Until two lovers came out of the air 
With bodies made out of soft fire. The one 
About whose face biixls wagged their fiery wings 
Said, "Aengus and his sweetheart give their thanks 
To Maeve and to Maeve's household, owing all 
In owing them the bride-bed that gives peace." 
Then Maeve, "O, Aengus, master of all lovers, 
A thousand years ago you held high talk 
With the first kings of many-pillared Cruachan, 
0. when will you grow weary?" 

They had vanished. 
But out of the dark air over her head there came 
A murmur of soft words and meeting lips. 



Looking Back« 



WATHERS 0' MOYLB an' the white gulls flying. 
Since I was near ye what have I seen? 
Deep great seas, an' a sthrong wind slghin' 
Night an' day where the wavefii are green. 
Struth na MoUe, the wind goes sighln' 
Over a waste o' wathers green. 

Slemish an' Trostan, dark wl' hea/ther. 

High are the Rockies, airy-blue; 
Sure ye have snows in the Winter weather. 

Here they're lyin' the long year through. 
Snows are fair in the Summer weather, 

Och, an' the shadows between are blue! 

Lone Glen Dun an' the wild glen flowers. 
Little ye know if the prairie is sweet, 

Roses for miles, an' redder than ours. 
Spring here undher the horses' feet. 

Ay, an' the black-eyed gold sunflowers— 
Not as the glen flowers small an' sweet. 

Wathers o' Moyle, I hear ye callin' 
Clearer for half o' the world between, 

Antrim hills an' the wet min fallin' 
Whiles ye are nearer than snow-tops keen; 

Dreams o' the night an' a night-wind callin'— 
What is the half o' the world between? 

— MOIRA O'NEILL. 



^'Ohl Bay of Dublin/' 

Oh: Bay of Dublin, my heart you're troublln'. 
Your beauty haunts me like a fevered dream. 
Like frozen fountains that the sun sets bubbling. 
My heart's blood warms when I but hear your name. 
And never till this life pulse ceases, 

My earliest thought you'll cease to be; 
Oh! there no one here knows how fair that place la. 
And no one cares bow dear it is to me. 

Sweet Wicklow mountains! the sunlight sleeping 

On your green banks is a picture rare. 
You crowd around me, like young girls peeping. 

And puzzling me to say which is most fair; 
* As tho' you'd see your own sweet faces. 

Reflected in that smooth and silver sea, 
Oh! my blcssin' on those loveiy places, 

Tho' no one cares how dear they are to me. 

How often when at work I'm sitting, 

And musing sadly on the days of yore. 
I think I see my Katey knitting. 

And the children playing round the cabin door; 
I think I see the neighbor's faces 

All gather'd round, their long-lost friend to see. 
Oh! tho' no one knows how fair that place is. 

Heaven knows how dear my poor Home was to me. 

—LADY DUFFBRIN. 



My Wife. 

This beautiful poem was written by Joseph Brennan, an 
Irish poet, who died in New Orleans a number of years ago. 
He had been but a short time in this country, and his wlie 
was still at their old home in the Emerald Isle. 

COME to me, dearest, I'm lonely without thee. 
Day time and night time I'm thinking about thee; 
Unwelcome my waking which ceases to fold thee; 
Come to me, darling, my sorrows to brighter. 
Come in thy beauty to bless and to brighten. 
Come in thy womanhood, meekly and lowly. 
Come in thy loveingness, queenly and holy. 

Swallows will flit round the desolate ruin. 
Telling of spring and its Joyous renewing; 
And thoughts of my love and its manifold treasure 
Are circling my heart with a promise of pleasure; 
Oh, spring of my heart, oh. May of my bosom. 
Shine out on my soul till it bourgeon and blossom; 
The waste of my life has a rose root within it, 
And thy fondness alone to the sunshine can win It. 

Figure — that moves like a song through the even. 
Features — lit up by a reflex of heaven; 
Eyes like the skies of poor Erin, our mother. 
Where sunshine and shadow are chasing each other! 
Smiles coming seldom, but childlike and simple. 
And opening their eyes from the heart of a dimple; 
Oh, thanks to the Saviour, that even thy seeming. 
Is left to the exile the brlgntness of dreaming. 

You have been glad when you knew I was gladdened. 
Dear, are you sad now, to hear I am saddened? 
Our hearts ever answer in tune and in time, love; 
As octate to octave and rhyme unto rhyme, love; 
I cannot weep but your tears will be flowing; 
You cannot smile but my cneeks will be glowing; 
I would not die without you at my side, love. 
You will not linger when I will have died, love. 

Come to me, dear, ere 1 die of my sorrow, 

Rise on my gloom like the sun of to-morrow; 

Strong, swift and fond as the words which I speak, love. 

With a song at your lips, and a smile on your cheeks, lore; 

Come, for my heart in your absence is weary. 

Haste, for my heart is sickened and dreary; 

Come to' the arms which alone should caress thee. 

Come to the heart which is throbhjteg to pressjthee. 



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THE GAEU 



173 




Books Too Little Known^ 

^THE CUCHULUN SAGA.^ 
By Edward Garnett, M*A* 



A BOOK that is liitle spoken of, a book that does not 
make too many concessions to the ordinary reader, 
and one that Is placed among the score of books the 
present writer would least willingly part with, is that fine 
piecemeal translation of the Irish Iliad, *'The CuchuUin 
Saga," compiled and edited by Miss Eleanor Hull for Mr. 
David Nutt's "Grimm Library" (1898). 

A good deal of attention has been bestowed lately on 
Lady Gregory's "Cuchulain of Muirthemne," a popular re- 
cension which takes the reader over much the same ground 
of early Irish romance that Miss Hull's compilation had 
previously covered. We are by no means ungrateful to 
Lady Gregory for her enthusiastic labors, and if in point of 
Btyle and of fidelity to the spirit of the great Irish epic we 
adjudge her translation inferior to Miss Hull's collected 
version, let the reader understand that it is not because we 
rank her book low, but because we place Miss Hull's very 
high. 

Lady Gregory has undoubtedly succeeded in the difficult 
task of boiling and dressing the pagan roast meats to suit 
a modern table, and her skill has justly earned for her the 
praise of many hundreds of people who do not demand that 
the translation shall be absolutely faithful to the spirit of 
these old Irish pagan Sagas. 

We therefore hasten to say that nobody can lay an indict- 
ment at Lady Gregory's door in asking: What is this spirit 
of the Irish Iliad that a translator may be true to? Some 
men will say one thing and some men will say another, and 
if we venture here to give some reasons why we set Miss 
Hull's book first and Lady Gregory's second, we do it know- 
ing that Lady Gregory has many skilful champions ranged 
on her side, such as Mr. Yeats, Mr. Stephen Gwynn and Mr. 
Arthur Symons, champions with whom it is an honor to 
break a lance. 

Mr. Stephen Gwynn in his essay, "Celtic Sagas Retold," 
has stated the main issue with his usual admirable clear- 
ness: 

I had previously essayed it (the story of Cuchulain) 
several times in the best versions I could come at, and 
got no pleasure except from the single lay which tells 
the fate of Delrdre. ... I owe to Lady Gregory's 
skill— and thousands will probably acknowledge the 
same debt— the vision of Cuchulain in his beauty, his 
terror, his charm. . . . Those who are connoisseurs 
in literature rather than simply lovers of poetry will 
prefer the literal version which keeps the qualntness, 
the crude savor of primitive literature— though for my 
own part I think that barbarisms, which In the original 
even of Homer fall naturally into their place, acquire a 
disturbing salience In translation. 

This Is excellently put, and It suggests a further question. 
If Lady Gregory's version does not keep the qualntness, the 
crude savor of primitive literature, what does it put In Its 



place? Must not the Cuchullln Saga become transformed In 
its barbaric spirit under the Influence of a modern taste 
that rejects Its ''crude savor"? We think this is the an- 
swer we mufft arrive at 

Mr. Stephen Gwynn argues that Lady Gregory In her 
'task of conciliation" has done for the Irish epic what the 
Welsh bards under Norman influence did for the Mabino- 
gion— but is not the analogy rather stretched? The chasm 
between our modern civilized society and that ancient Irish 
society to which the blood-stained tribal forays of the Cu- 
chullln Saga appeared as realities of daily life. Is so pro- 
found that It may be doubted whether a Victorian can pos- 
sibly make a "recension" of the sagas of Beowulf's day 
without destroying their tone. And this is what we think 
Lady Gregory has done. 

Admliable her adaptation may indeed be In respect to 
modem literary taste, admirable In retaining so much of 
the original beauty and poetry of these early Irish roman- 
ces, but we must not be surprised If the price we have to 
pay for appeasing or conciliating thousands of modern read- 
ers Is simply that the very spirit of this barbaric literature 
has mysteriously and gently transformed itself to please 
modem requirements. 

It Is not merely that Lady Gregory has omitted "certain 
amplifications of description," "clumsy iterations of Inci- 
dent," artistic "blunders" (In Mr. Stephen Gwynn's phrase), 
it is not merely that she has (to quote her preface) "left 
out a good deal that I thought you would not care about for 
one reason or another"; It is rather that In part by her 
omissions and condensations, and In part by her adoption 
of Irish peasant forms of speech, she has actually modern- 
ized the original. 

If we find, then. In her versions generally a certain level- 
ling softness of tone, an affection for colloquialisms In her 
characters' language, a strong disposition to retain all tnat 
goes to make a beautiful picture and a disposition to reject 
or to modify all that Is grimmest, wildest, and most uncom- 
promising, we shall be able to see how this mysterious, and 
to many readers welcome transformation in the charaoter 
of the CuchuUin Saga has come about 

Let us give a passage from Miss Hull's version which 
Lady Gregory's parses over almost entirely: 

"THE APPEARANCE OF THE MORRIGU." 

Miss Hull's Version, pp. 303, 104. 

When Cuchullln lay In sleep in Dun Imrld he heard a 
cry sounding out of the north, a cry terrible and fearful 
to his ears. Out of a deep slumber he was aroused by it 
so suddenly, that he fell out of his bed upon the ground 
like a sack, in the east wing of the house. 

He rushed forth without weapons, until he gained the 
open air, his wife following him with his armor and his 
garments. He perceived Laegh In his harnessed chariot 



Í74 



THE GAEL^ 



June, J903* 



«oming towardR him from Feeta Lalg In the north. 
"What brings thee here?" said CuchulUn. "A cry that 
I heard sounding across the plain/' said Laegh. "From 
-which direction?" said Cuchullin. "From the north- 
west/' said Laegh, "across the great highway leading to 
Caill Cuan/' "Let us follow the sound/' said Cuchullin. 

(We have only space here to give one of the three 
pages of GuchuUin's conversation with the Morrigu.) 

*'. . /' said the hero — 

"I shall strike down their warriors 

I shall fight their battles, 

I shall survive the Tain!" 
"How wilt thou manage that?" said the woman, "for 
when thou are engaged in a combat with a man as dex- 
terous as terrible, as untiring, as noble, as brave, as 
great as thyself, I will become an eel, and I will throw 
a noose round Uiy feet in the ford, so that heavy odds 
will be against thee/' "1 swear by the God by whom 
the Ultonians swear," said Cucthullln, "that I will bruise 
thee against a green stone of the ford; and thou never 
shall have any remedy from me if thou leavest me not." 
"I shall also become a grey wolf for thee, and I will 
take (...?) from thy right hand, as far as thy left 
arm/' "I will encounter thee with my spear/' said he, 
"until thy left or right eye is forced out; and thou shall 
never have help from me if thou leavest me not" "I 
will become a white, red-eared cow," said she, "and 1 
will go into the pond beside the ford, in which thou art, 
in deadly combat with a man as skilful in feats as thy- 
self, and a hundred white, red-eared cows behind me," 
etc., etc. 

Now, when Mr. Yeats says (and I must here own to be 
an old friend of Mr. Teats and an admirer of his work) in 
his preface to Lady Gregory's book: 

Lady Gregory has done her work of compression and 
selection so firmly and reverently that I cannot believe 
that anybody, except for a scientific purpose, will need 
another text than this, or than the version of it the 
Gaelic League has begun to publish in modem Irish. 

I must beg leave to differ from his conclusions with a 
reverent and a humble firmness. The force, the meaning:, 
the quality, the very essence and genius of the Irish ori- 
ginal, "The Appearance of the Morrigu/' is done away with 
in Lady Gregory's adaptation. The wild, fierce, free spirit 
of Irish paganism is attenuated, and something that is pru- 
dently English has taken its place. Lest anybody should 
infer that we are judging Lady Gregory on the evidence of 
a single passage we invite our readers to turn to others, 
such as: 

The Death of Deirdre. Miss Hull, p. 53. Lady Greg- 
ory, p. 139. The Wooing of Bmer. Miss Hull, p. 62. 
Lady Gregory, p. 22. Mesgegra's Combat with Conall. 
Miss Hull, pp. 92, 93. Lady Gregory (no version given). 
Calatin's CJhlldren. Miss Hull. pp. 240, 251. Lady Greg- 
ory, p. 330. 

And thoy will find that for the racy flavor of the original 
version a somewhat tame, over-refined, and semi-modern 
abbreviation has been substituted. 

We do not blame Lady Gregory for these abbreviations. 
She herself says in her preface, "I have left out a good deal 
that I thought that you would not care about for one reason 
or another," and if she has not rendered faithfully the sav- 
age fierceness of the Morrigu and has passed over entirely 
the wonderful combat between Mesgregrra and Conall cer- 
nach, it is only fair to say that Miss Hull has also had a 
moment of weakness, and in "The Wooing of Emer" has 
thought it fit "to omit a few passages that might wound 
modem suceptibilities." 

Really, these modem susceptibilities! how beautiful they 
are, and how unnecessary! What an extraordinary thing it 
is that an age which delights in the "Visits of Elizabeth" 
should find it necessary to blush, and turn away its inno- 
cent head from the chaste severity of thirty lines in a bar- 
baric saga! Miss Hull has, however, had the great good 
sense to see that the racy version of Dr. Whitley Stokes* 
'.'Siege of Howth" must be retained, and as we consider 



that the combat of Mesgregra with Conal cernach is one of 
the finest thmgs in the whole Cuchullin cycle, so free, wild, 
savage Is it. yet recounted with a strange delicacy, we ex- 
tract the episode which Lady Gregory omits: 

Now as he went out of the ford, westwards, Conall 
oemach "the Victorious" entered it from the east. "Art 
thou there, Mesgregra?" said Conall. "I am here/' 
said the King; . . "I claim my brothers from thee," 
said Conall. *'I do not carry them (i. e., their skulls) in 
my girdle," said Mesgegra. "That is a pity/' said Ck>n- 
all. "It were not champion-like,' said Mesgegra, "to 
fight with me, who have but one hand." "My hand shall 
be tied to my side," said Conall. Triply was Conall 
cemach'8 hand tied to his side. And each smote the 
other till the river was red with their blood. But the 
sword-play of CJonall prevailed. "I perceive that thou 
wilt not go, O Conall/' said Mergegra, "till thou takest 
my head with thee. Put thou my head above thy head, 
and add my glory to thy glory." . . . Then Conall 
got alone Into his chariot, and his charioteer into Mes- 
gegra's chariot They go forward then into Nachtar 
Fine till they meet fifty women, namely Buan, Mesge- 
gra's wife, with her maidens, coming southwards from 
the border. "Whose are thou, woman?" said Conall. 
"I am the wife of Mesgegra, the King." "It hath been 
enjoined on thee to come with me," said Conall. "Wbo 
hath enjoined me?" said the woman. "Mesgegra," said 
Conal. "Hast thou brought a token with thee?" said 
she. "Behold his chariot and his horses," said Ck>nalL 
"Many are they on whom he bestows treasures," said 
the woman. "Behold then his head," said Conall. 
"Now am I lost to him!" she said, etc. 

For the superb ending we must refer the reader to Miss 
Hull's book. 

Now this is as characteristic of the aristocratic pagan 
Irish in its quality as the chapter "Skarphedlnn's Death." 
in "The Story of Burnt Njal" is characteristically Norse. 
It is both fierce and tender, wild and refined in its feeling. 

Note how the bardic narrator, unlike <the Scandinavian 
scalds. Is on the side of the conquered man, and how Buan, 
Mesgregra's wife, is not allowed to fall into the conqueror's 
hand. How subtle and noble Is Mesgregra's acknowledg- 
ment of his defeat: '1 perceive that thou wilt not go, O 
Conall, till thou takest my head with thee. Put thou my 
head above thy head, and add my glory to thy glory." That 
touch of the King allowing his gillie to sleep first, the proud 
response of Buan to Conall, "Many are they on whom he be- 
stows treasures," the incisive artistic shaping of this tragic 
episode, so savagely strong yet so delicate— all this suggests 
that any touch of superadded nineteenth century softening 
culture on the translator's part would be precisely its artis- 
tic destruction. Now this translation we owe to Dr. Whit- 
ley Stokes, and it is the translation of a master. 

The most superb passage in Lady Gregory's and in Miss 
Hull's compilations i& undoubtedly the Death of Cuchullin, 
and on comparing them closely, though we own to a prefer- 
ence for Miss Hull's, we find that both ladies have followed 
Dr. Whitley Stokes so closely that the glory of the achieve- 
ment is his and no other's. After some little experience of 
the translations of Irish romances put forward by the little 
band of learned scholars, we have no hesitation in saying 
that Dr. Whitley Stokes' and Dr. Kuno Meyer's versions 
seem to us to set a standard which surpasses all others. 

Dr. Joyce and Dr. Hyde and Mr. Standish Hayes O'Qrady 
have done most excellent work, each in their separate de- 
partments, but we can find nothing in "Old Celtic Roman- 
ces," 'A Literary History of Ireland," or in "Silva Qade- 
lica" to touch Dr. Whitley Stokes and Dr. Kuno Meyer's 
specimen tales from "The Cuchullin Saga," or the last men- 
tioned scholar's "The Vision of MacCJonglinne." 

If the reader really wants to taste the wild fiavor, the free 
charm of early and medieval Irish literature, he must turn 
to the Cuchllin Saga and to MacCongllnne vision. If he 
wants to understand the charm of Irish peasant poetry he 
must turn to Dr. Hyde's Connacht Love Songs (the prose 
versions); if he wishes to understand how the old Celtic 
romance.') lived on as an abiding tradition in the rougher 
peasant minds of the Gaelic speaking population he must 
turn to ''Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition." 



June, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



J75 



To conclude, "The CuchuUin Saga," though It can be ex- 
amined and enjoyed In Miss Hull's compilation, exists there 
only in piecemeal and skeleton form. What we want most 
is the translation of the central tale, "The Tain Bo Cuail- 
g:ne," promised by the German scholar, Dr. Windisch;, and 
next what we want is a translation of many of those roman- 
ces marked in Miss Hull's chart of the Cuchullin Saga as 
extant but untranslated. How many years are we to wait? 

It is melancholy to think that the noblest and the greatest 
literature Ireland has produced is in the earliest, the mosi 
pagan cycle. Therefore it is that we fear any moderniza- 
tion of its spirit. "Amplifications of description," "clumsy 
Iterations of incident," can be cleared away from the con- 
text along with genealogical catalogues and mere topo- 
graphical information; but the tone, the tone of the Irish 
Iliad ought to be no less sacred than the tone of the great 
classics. And the Cuchullin Saga is to Ireland what the 
Edda is to Iceland, or the Nibelungen Lied is to Germany. 

You cannot improve on the tone of the Irish bards of the 
eleventh century. You can adapt them for the use of peo- 
ple who cannot assimilate the spirit of tlie original, and it 
is this feat that Lady Gregory has skilfully performed. We 
repeat we are not ungrateful to Lady Gregory, we feel óure 
that her adaptations will open the eyes of many thousands 
of people who would never have heard of Cuchullin but for 
her aid; but we hope that the readers will make further 
«xplorations, and Journey on till they can appreciate Dr. 
Whitley Stokes' and Dr. Kuno Meyer's incomparable ver- 
sions. 

Meanwhile, we ask for an expanded edition of Miss Hull's 
"Cuchullin Saga." Let Mr. Nutt see to it, and let those 
who want fine literature not rest till they have read and 
made acquaintance with "The Cuchullin Saga" and with 
"The Vision of MacConglinne." 



Ireland^ 



A Quarc Wccchiel* 



HE was a quare wee weechel wi' curious quare wee 
ways. 
He was nationate and odd-like and gentle a' his days 
Still he never had a hard word from the people 'round be- 
cause 
He was always open-handed and big-hearted, so he was. 

Now his father was as sensible as any ither man, 

But his mother was a woman that folk couldn't understan'; 

She was quet and quare and dreamy, and the neighbors 

often said 
'Twas no wonder that her "gasur" had such notions in his 
head. 

'Though often like the ither weans wi' marbles an wi' tops, 
And willin' too in spring-time at helpin' wl' the craps, 
Still you couldn't tell the minit he'd be taken wi' a spell 
And wander up alang the burn wi' no one but hlmsel'. 

'TIS often that I saw him there, the ferns and briars among. 
And him a kind o* list'nln' as the waters ran along— 
And there he'd sit for hours, and him a-plannin' in his head 
Some nonsensical ould story about what the water said. 

And plenty folk believed too that he saw uncanny sights 
When he rambled by himself among the braes on moonlight 

nights; 
And, feth, it was no wonder that the weechiel's brain was 

soft; 
For wi' stories o' the "wee folk" ould Pether had him daft. 

Still my blessln' be about him, for if he was odd itsel' 
There wasna' mony youngsters that the neighbors liked as 

well, 
I'm towld he's doln' bravely In the city; but withal 
I'm thlnkln' that there's longln' on him still for Donegal. 

— CATHAL MAC GARBHAIGH. 



IRELAND, oh Ireland! centre of my longings, 
Country of my fathers, home of my heart! 
Over seas you call me: Why an exile from me? 
Wherefore sea-severed, long leagues apart? 

As the shining salmon, homeless in the sea-depths. 
Hears the river call him, scents out the land. 

Leaps and rejoices in the meeUng of the waters. 
Breasts weir and torrent, nests him in the sand; 

Lives there and loves, yet, with the year's returning. 

Rusting in the river, pines for the sea. 
Sweeps back again to the ripple of the tideway 

Roamer of the waters, vagabond and free. 

Wanderer am I like the salmon of the rivers; 

London is my ocean, murmurous and deep. 
Tossing and vast; yet through the roar of London 

Comes to me thy summons, calle me In sleep. 

Pearly are the skies in the country of my fathers. 
Purple are thy mountains, home of my heart. 

Mother of my yearning, love of all my longings. 
Keep me in remembrance, long leagues apart 

—STEPHEN GWYNN. 



Royal Irish Academy^ 

A GENERAL meeting of the Royal Irish Academy was 
held recently at the Academy House, 19 Dawson 
St.. Dublin. The President. Professor Atkinson, pre- 
sided, and there was a fairly large attendance of members. 

Mr. C. Litton Faulkiner, M.A., read a short paper on "A 
Manuscript Diary of Charles Lever," in the course of which 
he said that readers of Fitzpatrick's "Life of Charles Lever" 
would recollect that shortly after taking his degree in Trin- 
ity College, on his return from a brief visit to America, the 
iuture novelist proceeded to Germany and passed several 
months of the Winter of 1829-30 at GotUngen and Heidel- 
berg. 

Lever's experience of student life in the two German uni- 
versity towns furnished the occasion of his first excursion 
into literature. . The "Dublin Literary Gazette" of 1830. a 
Journal which was the predecessor and herald of the cele- 
brated "Dublin University Magazine," contained "The Log 
Book of a Rambler," a series of papers in which the future 
author of "Harry Lorrequer" and "Charles O'Malley" first 
exhibited his talent for lively and humorous description. 

The stories and descriptions of the "Log Book" were in 
great part reproduced from the little manuscript volume 
which he had the honor of offering for the acceptance of 
the Academy as an interesting addition to its collection of 
autographs of distinguished Irishmen. 

The note-book has inscribed on the cover "Carl V. Lever: 
Goettingen, 1823." It is a random record — part journal, part 
common-place book, part sketch-book— of Lever's first trav- 
els in the Germany he lUtterwards became so familiar with. 

Fitzpatrick, in his Life, quotes from the "Dublin Literary 
Gazette" several passages of the "Log Book," the originals 
of which here survive as they were first penned, Interspersed 
with verses from Schiller and sketches, by the author's pen- 
cil, of scenes on the Rhine. 

The note-book came into his possession through a relative 
who had acquired it from a medical friend — a doctor in the 
North of Ireland— to whom Lever had given It. There could 
be no doubt of its authenticity, and he had much pleasure 
in placing it at the disposal of the Academy as a thoroughly 
characteristic memento of perhaps the most popular of the 
Irish novelists of the nineteenth century. 




bogle 



\7é 



THE GAEL. 



June, 1903. 




Irish Harp Festival in Belfast 




I HE exhibition of Irish harps 
and pipes, old Irish music, 
portraits, and publications 
illustrative of the history of 
music in Ireland that was 
opened in Linen Hall Li- 
brary, Belfast, yesterday, and will be 
continued until the end of next week, 
is a most praiseworthy expression of 
the revived interest in Irish music, in 
which Belfast very largely participates. 

Belfast has every reason to feel 
proud of its championship of the na- 
tional musical instrument of Ireland, 
for was it not here in 1792 that the old 
Irish harpers were gathered together 
by the patriotic exertions of Dr. Mac- 
Donnell and other eminent citizens of 
the day? 

The influence of that celebrated 
gathering on Irish music can never be 
adequately calculated. Bunting was 
there to note down all the tunes played, 
« and it is to this we mainly owe Moore's 
beautiful melodies, for the poet was 
not slow to take advantage of wedding 
his silvery verse to the sweet, sad. 
passionate music that lived in the re- 
mote valleys and glens of the country. 

One of the most interesting features 
of the festival is the loan exhibition, 
which includes harps whose original 
ownership is ascribed to Arthur O'Neill 
and Brian Boru, together with the 
models of many famous instruments. 
The Tara model of the Irish harp, 
made by James M'Fall, Bell^st, at- 
tracted much attention. Mr. M'Fall 
deserves to be congratulated on the 
success he has achieved in harp manu- 
facture. 

The Committee who have organised 
the festival are worthy of the greatest 
credit, and are as follows: — Messrs. 
F. J. Bigger, M.R.I. A.; C. H. Brett, 
J. St. Clair Boyd, M.D.; A. Gibson 
M.R.I.A.; S. Shannon Millln, B.L.; W. 
Swanston, F.G.S.; J. Vinycomb, 
M,R.I.A.; R. Young, J.P.; and H. 
Hughes (Hon. Secretary). A very 
large number, of the general public 
visited the exhibition, where they 
derived much Interesting and valuable 
information. 

Last evening an entertainment in 
connection with the festival was given 
in the Linen Hall Library. There 
was no charge made for admission, 
but the accommodation was not suffi- 
cient to seat one-tenth of those who 
presented themselves at the entrance. 

It was indeed a novel entertainment 
for an ordinary Belfast audience. It 
■ resembled in every way a Feis or Gae- 
lic League concert, and if the cry of 
"encore," instead of the Gaelic 
"evishe," was not so constantly heard 



From TTie Northern Whig, Belfast 

one might well imagine himself 
amongst a gathering of youthful and 
ardent Irish revivalists. 

Never was there a musical festival 
with such a fine healthy atmosphere— 
absolutely free from vapid sectarian- 
ism, narrow prejudice, or unreasoning 
bias. "The Boyne Water" and "The 
Wearing of the Green" were well and 
excellently played, to the loud applause 
of all, and the dancers wore neat ro- 
settes of orange and green. 

Mr. James Williamson played mag- 
nificently on the Irish pipes, but there 
can be no doubt that the popular piper 
of the evening was the blind player 
on the Irish pipes, Martin O'Reilly. 
This wonderful old man played the 
ancient airs with ^such a feeling, ex- 
pression, and profound understanding 
of their suggestions and meanings that 
he simply took the house by storm. 
He played the dance music for Miss 
Minnie Magee and Mr. Art MacGann, 
who went through a hornpipe with 
graceful agility. 

Of performers on the harp there 
were many. First must be mentioned 
Mr. Owen Lloyd, who rendered some of 
the old traditional airs with his cus- 
tomary skill and fascination. Praise 
must be also given to Mrs. Toner, Miss 
Davis, Miss Florence Kerin, Miss 
Emily MacDonald and Master Mala- 
chy M'Fall for the pleasure and en- 
joyment which they afforded by a dis- 
play of their thorough control over 
the old Irish instrument. 

All the airs played were traditional, 
with the exception of those attributed 
to Carol O'Daly, the famous Irish har- 
per, who In the seventeenth century 
won his mistress on the eve of her 
marriage to another by playing for her 
"Eileen Aroon," which he specially 
composed for that momentous occa- 
sion. The vocallsm of Mr. Frederick 
Cairns Hughes was cultured and artis- 
tic. His songs were the old Jacobite 
air "Lament for Sarsfleld" (arranged by 
Stanford) and that pathetic and heart- 
touching ballad of Moore's which so 
sweetly tells of the love of Sarah Cur- 
ran for the Ill-fated Robert Emmet in 
the lines which begin "She is far from 
the land where her young hero sleeps." 
A chorus by the West EJnd Gaelic 
Leagiie Choir brought the concert to a 
close. 

During the course of the entertain- 
ment Mr. F. J. Bigger, who was loudly 
applauded, said he wished to be al- 
lowed to say a word or two. In the 
first place, he wished, on behalf of the 
Harp Festival Committee, to thank 
most heartily one and all who had con- 
tributed to their pleasure that evening. 



It would be invidious for him to pick 
out any single one where all have 
done their best (Hear, hear.) They 
had succeeded beyond their utmost 
expectations in giving a sympathetic 
programme of their own loved ancient 
Irish music on their native instru- 
ments, the harps and pipes. (Ap- 
plause.) Never since 1792, when the 
great Harp Festival was held in Bel- 
fast by their ancestors, had so many 
Irish harpers played at a performance 
in their city. This was a fact for 
which they had every reason to feel 
proud. (Applause.) That they had 
had such a meeting, with such unusual 
muslcan excellence, was due largely 
to his friend Mr. Herbert Hughes, the 
[Hon. Secretary of the FestUval, on 
whom the labour largely fell, and who 
had so cheerfully brought it to a suc- 
cessful issue. (Loud applause.) 



The Bpcrs' Quh. 

THE annual general meeting of tlie 
Cumann na hPiohairi was held at 
the rooms of the Club, 41 Rut- 
land Square, Dublin. Mr. H. J. Mc- 
Donagh presided. The annual report, 
which was read by .the Secretary, 
showed that the Club is in a highly 
prosperous condition, and had made 
gratifying progress during the past 
year. 

The Chairman, in moving its adop- 
tion, said the members had every rea- 
son to congratulate themselves on the 
state of the Club, and especially on the 
success which it had attained during 
the year. The one thing to be regretted 
was that there were many pipers scat- 
tered throughout Ireland who did not 
belong to the Club. They should make 
it their endeavor to know where these 
pipers were to be found, and induce 
them to become members. 

The OireacJitas week would be a suit- 
able opportunity for making an effort 
in that direction, and he hoped it would 
be availed of for the purpose of getting 
all the pipers in the country to come 
Into line, and enable them the more 
effectually to popularize the Irish pipes 
and preserve the traditional airs, of 
which they in many cases were the 
sole preservers. The report was unani- 
mously adopted. 

Dr. St. Clair-Boyd (Belfast) was re- 
elected president for the ensuing year. 
The following Executive Committee 
was appointed: Miss Byrne, Miss 
Brennan, Miss Washington, Messrs. 
Kent, Nally, Daly, Cassidy, O'Farrelly, 
McDonagh and Murphy. 



June J903, 



THE GAEL. 



Í77 





HE Gaelic revival, one 
of the most remark- 
able and unexpected 
National movements 
our time, is an event of 
such recency that even, the 
youngest among us can re- 
member its beginnings. It 
is one of those almost 
elemental p h e n o mena 
J} the suddenness and force 
of which seems to carry 
everything before it, while it aston- 
ishes no one more, perhaps, than those 
who have started it. Nor can the calm- 
est and most sceptical onlooker remain 
indifferent, for the object at stake is 
the salvation of a nationality at the 
eleventh hour. 

Will this object be attained? Or will 
the movement come to a standstill as 
suddenly as it has sprung up? No one, 
I venture to say, can foretell, and I 
least of all. Friends both in England 
and in Ireland often ask me as one 
who has watched the movement from 
its beginning, and one who, as an out- 
sider, may be supposed to have kept 
his head cool, what I think of it all, 
and whether I regard it as likely to be 
lasting, I can only answer that it has 
taken me completely by surprise. 

When I remember the apathy which 
existed but yesterday with regard to the 
Irish language and literature, to Irish 
art, and, indeed, everything genuinely 
IrlBh, both among the people and the 
educated classes; when I call to mind 
that twenty years ago, when I first 
knew Ireland, under one of the most 
grotesque educational systems the 
world has ever seen, children were 
thrashed for talking Irish within the 
hearing of the schoolmaster; or when 
1 remember the pathetic endeavors of 
the men who then rallied to the rescue 
of an apparently dying language, the 
men who founded the Society for the 
Preservation of the Irish Language, 
and those who started the "Gaelic 
Journal"; when I recollect that we 



looked upon Hennessy, Standish Hayes 
O'Grady and John Fleming as the last 
native Irish scholars whom the world 
would ever know — and then see what 
is going on around us now, I have to 
rub my eyes like one awaking from a 
dream to daylight and reality. But for 
all that, I would not venture to 
prophecy. 

Not long ago Principal Rhys, the 
eminent Welsh scholar, told me that 
some time during the seventies of the 
last century he had predicted that the 
Welsh language would linger on for a 
generation or two, and then die out. 
No one had better opportunities to 
know than he; no one could have been 
less prejudiced; there is no more ar- 
dent lover of his nationality and of his 
native language; and yet see how false 
his prediction has been. Some hidden 
fire still smouldered unnoticed among 
the ashes, a fresh breeze springs up, 
and almost in a moment the whole 
country from end to end is ablaze. 

The Welsh language is now more 
firmly established than it has been for 
centuries. It is spoken and written by 
a young generation in a purity which 
has been unknown since the days of 
Qoronwy and Lewis Morris in the 
eighteenth century. It is taught in the 
schools, recognized by the National 
University as ranking by the side of 
Greek and Latin; papers and periodi- 
cals abound; a national press is issu- 
ing the classics of the nation in splen- 
did editions; a national library has 
been founded; the Eisteddfod — the 
Welsh Oireachtas— flourishes. 

A similar development seems to be 
taking place in Ireland under our eyes. 
Wherever one goes now one finds men 
and women, young and old, able to 
speak and read and write Gaelic; it is 
taught in the schools; ancient customs 
are revived; papers are springing up; 
Irish literature Is being printed; the 
interest in the history and traditions 
of the country and the race is widen- 
ing and deepening; scholars are en- 



couraged in their work. And, over and 
above this, the lives of thousands have 
been transfigured, and a new zest and 
spirit has entered into a nation whose 
despondency, whose listless, hopeless 
attitude towards itself and its inter- 
ests used to be the saddest features in 
its character. 

But 1 need not dwell on this wonder- 
ful transformation, familiar as it is to 
you all. I believe that its beneficial ef- 
fects will not be confined to Ireland. I 
do not mean to refer to the advantage 
which must inevitably accrue to the 
best interests of the Empire from a 
strengthening of the Irish nation — 
there is the history of many centuries 
to prove that the policy to keep it 
weak was disastrous— I desire to speak 
of a much humbler sphere which ttie 
Gaelic revival is sure to infiuence most 
favorably— Celtic scholarship at home 
and abroad. 

One of the discouraging phenomena 
to the foreign student hitherto was the 
curious circumstance that in what 
should have been the home of Irish 
and Celtic studies an almost complete 
indifference to these very studies pre- 
vailed among the learned as well as 
among the general public and the peo- 
ple at large. Another no less discour- 
aging circumstance was the difficulty 
of acquiring, either through books or 
by an easy intercourse with the people, 
the necessary knowledge of the spoken 
language in all its idiomatic force, and 
with all its dialectical varieties. 

Anyone who has followed the devel- 
opment of modern philology knows 
that its greatest achievements are de- 
rived from a minute study of the liv- 
ing languages, not from that of the 
more or less artificial language of lit- 
erature. It would have been an Irre- 
parable loss to Celtic research for lUl 
time if the Irish language, whidi the 
German philologist, Schlecher, rightly 
called the Gothic of the Celtic family 
of speech— that is, the most primitive 
and original , of fall Celtic languages, 
J ill zed by - 



J78 



THE GAEL. 



June, J903* 



dad been suffered to die without hav- 
ing been studied exhaustively at the 
source and on the spot, without hav- 
ing been chronicled down to the min- 
utest details of sound grammar and 
idiom. There is no fear of that now. 

Ireland is in the fortunate position 
of having retained her dia'lects, while 
in other countries like England, they 
are now rapidly disappearing before a 
colorless and artificially polite stand- 
ard on the one hand, and the vulgar 
and debased speech of the great cities 
on the other. Let me here express the 
hope that nothing will be done to dis- 
courage the dialects as the spoken; lan- 
guage of the home and of every-day 
life. They are the rich source from 
which the literary language will con- 
tinue to draw its best inspiration. The 
literary language can take care of it- 
self. It will develop with the taste, 
the culture, the learning of the indi- 
vidual writers. As the language spreads 
and grows great writers will come to 
set the standard, to serve as models, 
as Keating has done now, for many 
generations. 

Now, while this is the hopeful pros- 
pect of the movement, there yet re- 
main two important and essential 
things to be done, and the sooner they 
are done the better. One is to broaden 
and strengthen the movement at the 
root by rousing those districts in 
which Irish is still the mother tongue 
to a better realization of their import- 
ance and responsibility. 

That, I understand, is already part 
of the programme of the Gaelic 
League. The second requirement is 
the necessity of bringing the move- 
ment into direct and intimate rela- 
tions with scholarship, to provide an 
avenue for every student of Irish to 
the higher regions of study and re- 
search, to crown the whole edifice by 
a revival of native scholarship, and 
thus to bring about a second golden 
age of Irish learning. 

The aims of the Gaelic revival and 
those of scholarships are not incom- 
patible; it would be deplorable for 
either if they were. The scholar's task 
is to study and elucidate the same past 
in which the roots of the movement 
lie — the same past, the chasm between 
which and a degenerate^ modern Ire- 
land you have succeeded in bridging 
over. This chasm threatened to sever 
for all eternity the Ireland of the past 
from an Ireland rapidly becoming 
wholly anglicised. 

In 1851 Dr. O'Donovan, writing to a 
correspondent who had asked where 
the best speakers of Irish might be 
found, answered: "In the poorhouse." 
You have altered this. You have 
placed the best speakers of Irish In a 
seat of honor. But, remember, that 
you have also to fill a void — the gap 
which through the death of O'Donovan 
and O'Curry was cleft in native schol- 
arship. 

The work which those two men 
achieved has never yet met with 
full recognition. Apart from the work 
they did themselves, it was their 
knowledge and their original research 
which enabled scholars like Petrie. 
Todd and Reeves to achieve great re- 



sults in Irish archaeology, history and 
literature. 

When O'Donovan and O'Curry were 
dead further progress was rendered 
diflicult and almost impossible. The 
work which they left behind them has 
been, in Ireland at least, almost at a 
complete standstill since then in what 
I may call academic and official schol- 
arship. You have all heard of the se- 
vere criticism which scholars at home 
and abroad have directed against the 
five volumes published under the aus- 
pices of the Brehan Laws Commission. 
The fact is that the bulk of the five 
volumes of laws is merely work done 
by O'Donovan and O'Curry over forty 
years ago. O'Donovan died in 1861, 
O'Curry in 1862; the fifth volume was 
published in 1901. 

It seems that the Brehon Laws Com- 
missioners consider their work ended 
now that the excerpts and translation 
prepared and left by O'Donovan and 
O'Curry have^ come to an end. I gath- 
er this, in the first place, from the fact 
that a glossary to the five volumes has 
been published, a glossary again based 
upon faulty impression of O'Donovan 
and O'Curry's extracts, not upon the 
original MSS.; and, secondly, from the 
rumor which has come to my ears that 
the Commissioners entertained the idea 
of sending an Irish scholar abroad to 
search for unpublished manuscripts of 
Brehon Laws in the libraries of the 
Continent. This would have been a 
wild goose chase, for the MSS. do not 
exist 

Every scholar knows that if O'Don- 
ovan and O'Curry had lived they would 
have told them that, with the excep- 
tion of a few fragments of a legal trea- 
tise at Copenhagen, which hks already 
been published by Stokes, of which 
there is a copy in the Royal Irish Aca- 
demy, there are no law tracts in any of 
the Continental libraries. When I tell 
you, further, that all the time there are 
the most valuable legal documents ly- 
ing unused and unpublished in the li- 
braries of Trinity College, of the Royal 
Irish Academy, of the British Museum, 
and of the Bodlelon, you will have 
some information as to the value of 
Royal Commissioners. 

Am I not right, then, in saying that 
Irish scholarship, academical and of- 
ficial, is extinct since the time of 
O'Donovan and O'Curry? The question 
seems to me of such great importance 
that I may mention that it is my in- 
tention to address an open letter to 
the Commissioners on the whole sub- 
ject. I am not, of course, unaware of 
the fact that there are excellent and 
hard-working Irish scholails in Irel- 
land, but these scholars are isolated. 
They are working single-handed, and 
in the positions in which they are 
placed have no chance of creating a 
School of Irish Philology or History. 
There Is the crux of the whole mat- 
ter. 

If O'Donovan and O'Curry had but 
left a school behind, and in every other 
country they would have been enabled 
to do so. we should not now complain 
of the standstill of Irish scholarship in 
Ireland. But the fault was not theirs. 
They met wltii little encouragement. 



except from a few enthusiasts. There 
was, and there is not now, any proper 
organization for the academic pursuit 
of these studies. There was, and there 
still is, little Interest in research and 
higher scholarship. I know that 
O'Donovan held for a time a professor- 
ship in Belfast, but he seems to have 
had no pupils. At least, so I gather 
from a letter of his which has come 
into my hands. In the letter, written 
in 1851, O'Donovan says: 

"I shall be in Belfast very soon 
again to deliver some lectures on 
the Celtic dialects. I do not be- 
lieve that you or any other friends 
there will be able to procure me 
any pupils, and I am, therefore, 
afraid I cannot live among you." 

I venture to say that if he were to 
come to Belfast now he would not be 
left without pupils, but that hundreds 
would fiock to his classes. It has not 
always been so in Ireland. As late as 
the seventeenth century there existed 
throughout the country bardic schools 
in whidi the Irish language and Irish 
literature, supported by liberal contri- 
butions from the chiefs, were taught 
and studied. Just as law schools and 
medical schools were kept up and sup- 
ported in a similar way. 

These were the academies and unl- 
versities of ancient Ireland. As you 
turn over the pages of "The Four 
Masters" you come again and again 
upon the obit of one of the professors 
of these schools. 

Now ,lt is absolutely necessary, if 
there is to emanate from Ireland work 
of first-rate importance in history, 
philology, literature, archaeology, that 
there should be established a sdiool in 
which the foundation for these studies 
would be laid by a study of the Irish 
language and literature. Without a 
knowledge of the Irish language in all 
its stages — old Irish, middle Irish, 
modern Irish — no real advance in our 
knowledge of the various subjects 
mentioned above is possible, because 
the sources, the documents, are writ- 
ten In Irish. I need not here again 
dwell on the wealth and variety of 
Irish literature in all branches, or reit- 
erate what I have said elsewhere, that 
no one Is in a position to speak with 
authority of it as a whole. The facts 
are not yet before us. 

But let us consider for one moment 
the magnitude of the task that has yet 
to be accomplished. Let me begin 
with the language. To trace the his- 
tory of the language from the oldest 
available records to modem times, to 
establish the laws which govern it, to 
follow its changes from period to per- 
iod, from dialect to dialect, then, when 
all this has been done, to date and lo- 
cate every piece of prose or poetry 
with exactness — these are some of the 
tasks which await the student of Irish 
philology. 

As to the literature, the amount and 
variety of the work to be done is even 
greater. Here is the oldest vernacular 
poetry and prose of Western Europe 
handed down in hundreds of manu- 
scripts, very few of^whlch have been 
edited, many of michr>.hav%T hardly 
Digitized by VjjVJOQ l^. 



June» 1903. 



THE GAEL, 



Í79 



been opened for centuries, while the 
majority has only been hastily glanced 
at What a task for generations of 
itudents! Who can say what revela- 
tions await US, what revolutions in our 
knowledge may be in store here? Every 
new publication comes as a surprise. 
The general reading public and the 
majority of the learned world almost 
refuse to credit the wealth, the age, 
the beauty of this literature. 

Only the other day I sent a copy of 
a few old Irish nature poems to a well- 
known French scholar, who was de- 
lighted with them, but would not be- 
lieve that I had not in my translation 
brode— faked— the vast part of them. 
This is characteristic of the ignorance 
and credulity prevailing even in the 
circles of the learned. 

The truth is that my poor reading 
labors in vain to express the beauty of 
the Irish original. Scholars and the 
public will judge differently when once 
the Irish classics from the earliest 
times down to the elghteeiith century 
will be before the world in critical edi- 
tions. This is a task essentially for 
Irishmen to perform. The difficulties 
for a foreign student are often too 
great and numerous, quite apart from 
the language, and to be surmounted 
demand an intimate knowledge of na- 
tive lore that few foreigners can hope 
to attain. 

When we next consider the purely 
historical document, whether of 
church history or secular history— first 
those bearing upon pagan times, then 
those dating from the golden age of 
Ireland before the Norse invasion, 
next those of the Viking age of the 
ninth and tenth centuries, then those 
of the renaissance during the eleventh 
century, and so on in unbroken tradi- 
tion to the eighteenth century — you 
will realize that it is idle to attempt to 
write the general history of Ireland or 
the history of any special period before 
they have all been published and made 
the subject of critical study. 

It would take me too long to con- 
tinue this sketch of the work awaiting 
the hand of the historian, archaeolo- 
gist, and topographer. I will say once 
more that whatever the foreign stu- 
dent may achieve, he cannot hope i« 
cope with its difficulties so successfully 
as the native student. It is a task 
which must be accomplished by Irish- 
men and Irishwomen essentially. 

Instead of further enlarging on this, 
let me illustrate what I have said by 
one single example, which must stand 
for hundreds that I might give. Among 
the priceless Stowe MSS. which were 
deposited by the British Government 
with the Royal Irish Academy in 1885 
there is the "Book of Hy-Many." You 
may remember the patiietic indigna- 
tion of O'Gurry when he was denied 
access to the MSS. by its former own- 
er, that churlish nobleman, Lord Ash- 
burnham; O'Curry knew what its con- 
tents were, and ate his heart out Now 
the MSS. has come back to Ireland; 
but there it has lain in the Academy 
unutilized, uncatalogued for nearly 20 
years, and yet what treasures it con- 
tains! 

There are to be found among other 



things the poems of MacLiag — the bard 
of Tadg Mor O'Rell, the follower of 
Brian Na Broimhe — all unedited. Im- 
agine what might happen if it became 
known that an old English MS. existea 
containing poems by a bard attached 
to King Alfred, who had sung his bat- 
tles, and the warriors who had fought 
under him. The news would spread 
like wildfire throughout the world of 
letters, and editions learned and popu- 
lar would follow in rapid succession. 

Now, where are those Irish scholars 
to lift these and hundreds of similar 
treasures? They will not be found 
until a school of Irish philology has 
given them the necessary instruction 
and training, and has taught them the 
proper methods of study and research. 

The field is there, the materials are 
abundant, the laboratories, so to speak, 
are fully equipped, the workers alone 
are wanting. This is a National con- 
cern. To provide such students with 
the necessary instruction, to initiate 
them into the study of the older stages 
of the language, is, in my opinion, a 
question of National importance. How 
is it to be done? At present there is 
no provision of this kind. 

If we could rely on the foundation of 
a National University in the immediate 
future, of a Celtic University, if I may 
so call it, the solution wiuld be easy. 
In such a university there should be 
Chairs of Irish Philology, for Irish 
History, and Archaeology, and a well- 
equipped library, and we might look 
forward then to a fiourlshing school 
of Irish research; but these things lie 
on the knees of the gods, and mean- 
. while valuable time is being lost. 

It is necessary also to train scholars 
who can take their places as teachers 
in that University when the time for it 
comes. Can we expect anything from 
Trinity College? No, I think not I 
see no sign of it Trinity College is 
modelled upon the obsolescent system 
of the older English Universities, in 
which instruction is given almost ex- 
clusively in certain recognized subjects 
while the time of instruction is con- 
trolled by prescribed curricular exam- 
inations, so that the true object of 
learning is lost sight of. Such a sys- 
tem is concerned almost exclusively 
with the acquisition of knowledge 
which is already common property, in- 
stead of widening, increasing and ad- 
vancing knowledge and learning. 

The question next arises whether the 
Royal Irish Academy can be expected, 
or can be Induced, to organize such a 
school. Not unless the Gaelic League 
were to storm it, reorganize it on 
scholarly lines, and make it what it 
ought to be — the home and center and 
the workshop, of Irish studies and re- 
search. No, I think little or no sup- 
port is to be looked for from these 
quarters. 

If it were really alive to the progress 
and to the needs of Celtic scholarship, 
if it were really the home and center 
of Irish studies, no institution would 
be more suited to take up such a 
scheme. But it cannot be called so. It 
has founded no school, it trains no 
scnolars, it has published no catalogues 
of its MSS. When its President was 



approached some time ago to co-oper- 
ate in inducing the Government to 
make a grant for the cataloguing of 
Irish MSS. he declined to do so. Since 
the days of O'Curry, it has, I believe, 
not bought a single MS. What, then, 
are we to do? 

At this point, perhaps, you will bear 
with me if I tell you an old story, 
which may be new to some of you. 
One day during the end of the eighth 
century, when Charlemagne sat upon 
the throne, a British merchant ship 
landed upon the coast of France hav- 
ing two great Irish scholars and di- 
vines on board as passengers. While 
the merchants put forth their wares 
and were busy proclaiming them these 
two Irishmen cried out to the people: 
"If there is anyone in search of wis- 
dom and knowledge let him come to 
us, we have some to dispose of." 

The rumor of their arrival spread 
throughout the land, and reached the 
ears of the Emperor. He sent for 
them, and asked them what they re- 
quired for their merchandise. They 
declared they needed nothing but a 
suitable place to teach in, intelligent 
students to teach, and for themselves 
food and dress. Charles immediately 
placed one of them, Clement by name, 
at the head of a school at his own 
Court, and placed the other, whose 
name was Dungal, at Pavia. 

Such is the story told by the chron- 
icler of St Gall. I think its applica- 
tion to our case is evident Secure but 
the necessary scholars, able and will- 
ing to teach; furnish a place for them 
to teach in, and provide them with 
earnest and intelligent students, and 
the thing is done. 

The question of funds is not the first 
and only consideration in such mat- 
ters. The determination to carry the 
scheme through, co-operation, organi- 
zation, are infinitely m6re important 
I venture then to suggest the follow- 
ing simple scheme: Begin in the sim- 
plest, humblest way. I feel sure that 
men like Father Hogan, Father Din- 
neen, Dr. Douglas Hyde, Prof. Stra- 
chan. Dr. Joyce, Mr. Coffey — ^to men- 
tion only a few whose names occur to 
me — will one and all give their help 
and their services, each in his own 
province of learning. As for myself, 
I am ready to begin to-morrow, if you 
provide me but with a room and a 
blackboard and the students. 

Liverpool is but a few hours' pleas- 
ant sail from here, and I can come 
over often. Let the Gaelic League take 
the matter in hand. Hire a room or 
two somewhere in the center of the 
city; furnish them with the nucleus of 
an Irish working library. As for the 
necessary money — and very little will 
be needed to start — use your organiza- 
tion, approach the corporation, the rich 
men and women In sympathy with the 
movement, open a subscription list to- 
night Then we will found a periodi- 
cal devoted to Irish research, and ex- 
change it with the great libraries and 
academies of the world. 

Perhaps when you have achieved so 

much, the eyes of the Government will 

be opened, and they will bestow tiieir 

money where they will get better value 

Digitized 



180 



THE GAEL. 



June, 1903» 



for it Do not, I l>e8eech you, regard 
my little scheme as Utopian. Its suc- 
cess depends upon one' thing, and up- 
on one thing only— the enthusiasm and 
application of the students. 

But I must have gauged the Gaelic 
movement wrongly if we cannot de- 
pend on this. I believe there are hun- 
dreds of young men and women who 
have already acquired a scholarly 
knowledge of the modem language, 



eager to avail themselves of every op- 
portunity of becoming better acquaint- 
ed with the ancient language of their 
native land, of equipping themselves 
with the necessary knowledge for in- 
dependent research in the vast mines 
of its literature, and of swelling the 
ranks of a small band of Celtic stu- 
dents. There I leave the matter for 
the present, in the full belief that I 
have not spoken in vain. 



Oireachtas Week in Dublin* 




Oireachtas Festival for 
1903 opened at the Ro- 
tunda, Dublin, on Mon- 
day, May 11th, and con- 
tinued all week. The 
great annual Gaelic 
Ck)mpetitions attracted 
an immense number of 
visitors and large crowds were con- 
stantly present in the different rooms 
in the building where the competitions 
were being decided. 

Delegates attended from every coun- 
ty in Ireland except Queen's County, 
Fermanagh, Longford and Westmeath, 
and represented 209 Irish branches in 
all. In addition to these, eight 
branches from Scotland, nine from 
England, and two from America were 
represented. The total representation 
of brandies was 232, and the delegates 
numbered between 300 and 400. 

The growth of the importance of the 
Oireachtas Is demonstrated by the fact 
that when first started the proceed- 
ings lasted only one day; now they ex- 
tend over a whole week. The number 
of delegates has also Increased, and 
competitions are now held In a greater 
variety of subjects than formerly. The 
competitions are much keener, and tae 
results, as a consequence, are looked 
forward to with greater interest. 

Aside from the various competitions 
which took place during the week, con- 
sisting of singing, recitations, story- 
telling, conversational contests, danc- 
ing, musical contests, etc., the princi- 
pal events consisted of a lecture deliv- 
ered by Prof. Kuno Meyer in the large 
concert hall of the Rotunda, and the 
production of Dr. Douglas Hyde's "An 
Posadh" (The Marriage). 

The pretty little play was presented 
with a wonderful • appreciation of the 
author's meaning by the members of 
the Ballaghadereen Branch of the 
Gaelic League. Mr. J. Gaughan gave 
a very clever Impersonation of the 
good-intentloned wandering poet. 

At the conclusion of the sketch the 
players were again and again "called," 
and on each occasion the approval of 
the audience found expression in loud 
and prolonged cheering, wh^ch was re- 
newed when Dr. Hyde csltc^. to make 
hl9 acknowledgments of me call for 
the author. 

"An Posadh" was followed by the 
Rev. Father Dinneen's "An Tobar 
Draoidheachta" (The Enchanted Well) 
by the members of the Cork (North 
Parish) Branch of the League. The 
story of the play was admirably in- 



terpreted by the performers. The en- 
semble was particularly picturesque, 
and the interesting subject of the work 
was carefully preserved throughout 



"F 



fT strikes me that this is about the 
slowest ralhroad In the country," 
said the impatient tourist to the 
station master at Longford. 

"I knew you were going to kick," re- 
plied the station master, genially, "as 
soon as you asked for a time-table. 
You are one of these people who be- 
lieve everything they see in print" 



A Song for the Girl I Love« 

A SONG for the girl I love- 
God love her! 
A song for the eyes of tender 
shine. 
And the fragriant mouth that melts on 

mine, 
The shimmering tresses uncontrolled 
That claap her neck with tendril gold; 
The blossom mouth and the dainty 

chin. 
And the little dimples out and in — 
The girl I love- 
God love her! 

A song for the girl I loved — 

God love her! 
A song for the eyes of faded lifl^t. 
And the cheek whose red rose waned 

to white; 
The quiet brow with its shadow and 

gleam. 
And the dark hair drooped in a long, 

deep dream; 
T)ie small hands crossed for their 

churchyard rest. 
And the lilies fair on her sweet dead 

breast. 
The girl I loved— 
God love her! 



Some Splendid Stories of Ireland* 



The 

Squireen 

A powerful novel of 
North Ireland 

By 
SHAN F. BULLOCX 

The scene is laid in 
County Ulster, and 
the plot deals with 
a dare-devil landlord, 
deeply in debt who 
throws over his true 
love to marry a girl 
with money. 
" The story never fail-i 
in interest from first to 
last. Its literary cuality 

is excellent. ' '— Chicago 
Tribune, 

$iSO. 



A Lad of the OTrids 

A pastoral and idyllic novel 
By SEUMUS MACMANUS 

Telling the Life and Love of a Youth 
of Donegal 

"A captivating tale narrating a peasant boy's joys 
and pastimes and occupations, It has rare 
literary quality and charm.' ^—Detroit Free Press. 

$i.50. 



Darby O'GiII and the Good 
People 

Quaint and fascinating^ fairy tales 
By HERMINE TEMPLETON 

Told on the road between Killarney and 
Ballinderg 

" They are the incarnate spirit of fairy lore." 
Chicago Tribune. 

" Good stories all, full of the sly humor of the 
race/'—A^. Y. Sun. 



MCCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO., N. ¥• 

Digitized byV^OO^lC 



June, J903. 



THE GAEL 



181 




The Irish Literary Society of New York^ 




, HBRB has recently been 
organized in New York 
City the Irish Literary 
Society of New York. 
The need has long been 
felt for the foundation of 
such a Society here. The 
aim of the Society is to 
promote the study of the 
Irish language, Irish lit- 
erature, history, music, 
drama and art; to establish for this 
purpose a center of literary intercourse 
and in general to foster in Americans 
of Irish birth or descent a spirit of in- 
terest in the language, poetry and his- 
tory of their forefathers. Lectures will 
be delivered before the members of the 
Society and their friends. History 
classes will be organized to meet every 
month or oftener when papers will be 
read and discussed. 

The Society will also hold musical 
meetings and give art exhibitions and 
produce original Irish dramas each 
year. It will also, it is hoped, be able 
to act in co-operation with the Irish 
Literary societies of Dublin and Lon- 
don. The Society is non-political and 
un-sectarian. 

The President of the Society is Mr. 
Cnarles Johnston, a graduate of Trin- 
ity College, Dublin, and a friend of Dr. 
Douglas Hyde, Mr. W. B. Yeats, Mr. 
John O'Leary, Mr. George W. Russell, 
(A. B.), and other writers prominent In 
the Irish literary movement. Mr. 
Johnston participated in the formation 
of the Irlflh Literary Society of Lon- 
don some ten years ago, and It is be- 
lieved that he will make an ideal first 
President of the Society. 

The Society has elected as Honorary 
Vice-Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, 
President of the United States; Right 
Rev. John M. Farley, Archbishop of 
New York; Right Rev. P. J. Ryan, 
Archbishop of Philadelphia; Mr. John 
La Farge, the well-known artist; Mr. 
John O'Leary, of Dublin; Dr. Douglas 
Hyde, President of the Dublin Gaelic 
League; Right. Hon. Horace Plunket, 
former President of the Irish Agricul- 
tural Organization Society, and the 
Right Hon. Lord Castletown, of Upper 
Ossory, President of the Pan-Celtic 
Society. 

One of the chief aims of the Society 
will be the encouragement of those 
Irish writers who, in Bnglish, are 
doing the best literary work in 
Ireland, work which many believe 
is the best work being done in 
literature and the drama anywhere ip 



the world to-day. These writers are 
writing from their own souls for their 
own country and get very little sub- 
stantial recognition in England. 

If such writers as Lady Gregory, W. 
B. Yeats, Douglas Hyde, George Rus- 
sell (A. B.), Standish O'Grady and Dr. 
George Sigerson — to name only a few 
out of many — made up their minds to 
please the English' mind by holding 
Ireland up to ridiciule as some Irish- 
men unfortunately have done, they 
would find plenty of buyers and plenty 
of praise in England. 

It is felt that the Irish Literary So- 
ciety of New York may do great things 
in Ireland for Irish writers by form- 
ing itself into a sort of Academy to re- 
port on the Irish literary and dramatic 
work during each year and to publish 
a journal either monthly or quarterly 
calling attention of Irishmen and the 
sons of Irishmen in America to the 
fine work now being done in Ireland. 
Ireland is one of the ancestors of 
America and Ireland is much nearer to 
the heart of America than England 
can ever be. 

One of the chief alms of the Society 
will be to give a sympathetic hearing 
and encouragement on this side of the 
Atlantic to writers who with little 
hope of profit are doing the best work 
in Ireland. Ehigland herself has late- 
ly waked up a little and shows signs 
of trying to understand the Irish mind 
and even the Tory "Spectator" of 
April 18th contained a page article un- 
der the title. "Wanted an Irish Sir 
Walter Scott." 

It may some day even become the 
fashion in England to admire the 
works of Dr. Hyde, W. B. Yeats, Geo. 
W. Russell (A. E.), Standish O'Grady, 
Lady Gregory and the others of the 
Irish school. 

The Society hopes to encourage 
these writers by giving intelligent and 
independent criticism of their works 
and affording sufficient market to make 
them independent of England and of 
English buyers. Writers of the old 
generation who held up Irishmen and 
Ireland to ridicule found plenty of 
buyers and plenty of praise in Eng- 
land. 

The writers of to-day who are at- 
tempting to give some idea of the real 
Irish mind, to show the real genius 
and soul of Ireland, cannot expect wide 
encouragement in commercial Eng- 
land. 

The Society will have a lecture and 
meeting room and a library with a 



librarian in charge, all of which can 
be arranged for a moderate sum. 

The yearly dues will be made as 
moderate as possible consistent with 
the maintenance of good rooms and 
suitable accommodations for members, 
and will probably not exceed Aye dol- 
lars a year. 

All those who are interested in the 
purposes of the Society and desirous 
of becoming members are cordially in- 
vited to communicate with the Sec- 
retary of the Society, Mr. John Quinn, 
120 Broadway, New York City. 



Irish Made Goods* 

THE Gaelic League of London has 
issued the following Important 
circular: 

"The Gaelic League of London pro- 
pose to hold a Midsum^ner Aonach, or 
Fair, for the advertisement and sale of 
Irish-made goods and farm produce. 
The Hon. Secretary of the Aonach Sub- 
Committee will be pleased to hear from 
manufacturers, schools of handicraft, 
co-operative societies, and ladies and 
gentlemen connected with cottage in- 
dustries, who will undertake to supply 
the Gaelic League with Irish-made 
goods, on sale or return, at prices 
which will allow the Gaelic League to 
retail the goods at the regular price, 
and leave a small margin of profit to 
defray the expenses. 

"The object is to introduce Irish- 
made goods and produce to the notice 
of the Irish population of London, and 
create a demand which would be met 
through the London tradesmen, or di- 
rectly by the producer. The Gaelic 
League undertakes the return of any 
^ods of a non-perishable nature of 
which they may be unable to dispose, 
if required. 

"It is most desirable that goods be 
packed in an attractive manner, and 
that sample show-cases be forwarded 
where possible. The show-cases might 
perhaps be kept permanently on show 
at the offices of the vjraelic League, 
space permitting, and woulTl be -a valu- 
able advertisement. 

"To ensure the clearance of the 
goods, guarantees are being obtained 
from members of the Gaelic League 
and their friends for the purchase of 
same. Further information may be 
had from Miss G. L. Griflln, Hon. Sec- 
retary to Aonach, and particulars as 
to goods for sale should be addressed 
to her, care of the Gaelic League, 9 
Duke Street, Strand, London, W. C." 
Digitizeo 



182 



THE GAEL. 



June. 1903 




A New Society to Help Ireland 




^RTICLES of incorporation for 

an organization called the 

Irish Industrial League of 

America have been filed in 

New York City with the 

iCk)unty Clerk. The incorporators 

' and members of the first Board of 

Directors are: 

Morgan J. O'Brien, James Byrne, 
John D. Crimmins, John Byrne, 
Vincent P. Travers, Hugh J. 
Grant. Richard Deeves, Eugene A. 
Philbin, Thomas H. Kelly, John W. 
Goff, John Quinn, Charles W. Sloane, 
George J. Gillespie and Eugene Kelly, 
all of Manhattan, and Thomas B. Mina- 
han. of Columbus, Ohio. 

The objects of the I^eague are stated 
as follows: 

**To aid in the promotion, by 
voluntary pecuniary aid or other- 
wise, of industrial, commercial, 
agricultural, technical and artistic 
pursuits in Ireland; to promote 
and develop the economic and ma- 
terial resources of Ireland, to aid 
and promote the development of 
agricultural and technical instruc- 
tion in Ireland, and in general to 
aid in the development and ad- 
vancement of the material resour- 
ces and the common industrial in- 
terests of Ireland; to acquire, im- 
prove or develop and otherwise 
deal in all property, real and per- 
sonal, in the city of New York or 
elsewhere, for the purpose of car- 
rying out the benevolent objects of 
the said corporation." 
Putting it briefly, the object of the 
new organization is to co-operate in 
every possible way with the Irish Ag- 
ricultural Organization Society in its 
efforts to save the Irish farmer. The 
Right Hon. Horace Plunkett is the 
moving spirit of that organization. He 
has for a long time been receiving sup- 
port from a number of leading citizens 
of Irish birth or descent in this coun- 
try. Among these the incorporators of 
the Irish Industrial League have been 
conspicuous. The incorporation of the 
League means simply that they are to 
extend and systematize their efforts. 

James Bfrne, of the law firm of 
Hornblower, Byrne, Miller & Potter, 
has been chiefly instrumental in bring- 
ing about the organization on this sido 
of the water. It will have oflBces in 
this city and will establish branches 
throughout the United States and Can- 
ada. It intends to raise funds by mem- 
bership dues, subscriptions, the ar- 
rangement of lectures and in various 
other ways. 
It will be wholly non-political and 



non-sectarian, refraining from all agi- 
tation and restricting its activity to 
giving economic support to the Irish 
Agricultural Organization Society and 
similar institutions which aim at the 
redemption of Ireland by practical and 
economical means. The incorporators 
have already issued a pamphlet en- 
titled *The Irish Agricultural Organi- 
zation Society: Its organization and 
what is has accomplished." 

The aims of this Society are to im- 
prove existing agricultural industries 
in Ireland, to establish subsidiary in- 
terests to agriculture, to establish 
small town industries, and to do all 
these through the medium of co-opera- 
tion. 

The Irish Agricultural Organization 
Society has already established In Ire- 
land 685 subordinate societies with a 
membership of 69,311. Last September 
It had registered 324 creamery or dairy 
societies, 125 agricultural societies for 
the purchase of seeds and farm imple- 
ments, 134 agricultural banks, through 
which farmers are enabled to borrow 
money at 4% to 5 per cent interest; 45 
home industrial societies and 30 mis- 
cellaneous societies, embracing woollen 
and linen weaving, furniture making, 
carpet weaving, bee keeping and simi- 
lar pursuits. The annual turnover of 
the societies is $10,000,000. The So- 
ciety makes for itself the claim of hav- 
ing achieved these five great Improve- 
ments: 

It has saved the Irish butter 
trade and has placed Irish butter 
at the top of the market by the es- 
tablishment of co-operative cream- 
eries and dairies. 

It has improved the egg and 
poultry industry and has made 
honey a staple and profltable Irish 
product. 

It has introduced cheap credit 
into Ireland on a sound economic 
basis. 

It has improved Irish tillage by 
means of experimental plots. 

It has appreciably reduced emi- 
gration by providing work for the 
people. 

*'A11 this," the pamphlet says, "ha,'? 
been accomplished by the expenditure 
of about $150,000. If te Society had an 
assured income of about $50,000 for 
flve or six years, the 70,000 members 
of the co-operative movement in Ire- 
land could be easily increased to 600,- 
000. forming the whole farming popu- 
lation of the country." 

It asks the help and co-operation of 
Irishmen and descendants of Irishmen 
in America. 




A Celtic Scctíon in the N. Y. 
Public Library. 

A STRONG plea for the establish- 
ment of a Celtic or Irish section 
in the New York Public Library 
was put forward in Carnegie Lyceum 
on May 30 by Supreme Court Justice 
Morgan J. O'Brien. 

"Irish intellectualism," he said, *'was 
forced down as the result of political 
thraldom, but to-day there is a revival, 
and it is worth while to consider what 
shall be the effect upon Ireland, on 
New York, on mankind, for New. York 
is destined to be the center of the in- 
tellectuality of the world. The Irish 
language has the grandest literature of 
the world. 

'*It strikes one that to clear away the 
popular ignorance regarding Ireland 
and Irish affairs, is to establish an 
Irish library or an Irish section of the 
New York Public Library. 

*'A few months ago a prominent He- 
brew gentleman donated enough money 
to establish a Semitic section in the 
New York Free Library. I am happy 
to have the opportunity of suggesting 
here to-night that some one man or 
more donate enough to establish also 
an Irish section in the New York Pub- 
lic Library." 

Justice O'Brien presided at a lecture 
by Mr. Charles Johnston preparatory 
to the presentation of three of Mr. 
Yeats' plays on June 3d and 4th under 
the auspices of the Irish Literary So- 
ciety of New York. 



MR. JOHN B. YEATS has just fin- 
ished a very fine portrait in olis 
of Mr. John O'Leary, the m98t 
prominent survivor of the Feulan 
Movement. The portrait, which is life- 
size. Is considered to be the best "coun- 
terpart presentment" of the veteran 
patriot yet painted, and has been pri- 
vately viewed at the artist's studio by 
several of Mr. O'Leary's friends and 
admirers, who one and all expressed 
the highest admiration of Mr. Yeats* 
treatment of his distinguished subject. 

This fine example of Mr. Yeats' work 
was painted for Mr. John Quinn, Sec- 
retary of the Irish Literary Society of 
New York, an ardent admirer of Mr. 
O'Leary, who was in Ireland some six 
months ago, and who takes the keenest 
interest in everything pertaining to the 
old country. 

Mr. Yeats also received a commission 

from him to paint a life-size portrait 

of Dr. Douglas Hyde, President of the 

Dublin Gaelic 

" Digitiz 



mgias Hyae, fresiaent o 

izedSr©oogle 



June, I903* 



THE GAEU 



183 



A Disgraceful Affair* 

AMEHICAN Gaels were disgusted 
and deeply mortified when they 
read cable dispatches received 
last week from Ireland announcing the 
story of a riotous mob headed by Mrs. 
McBride, Edward Martyn, Seamus Mc- 
Manus and others, which, falsely claim- 
ing to represent the Gaelic League, 
made its way uninvited upon the plat- 
form at a Nationalist meeting being 
held in the Rotunda and caused there 
an unseemly, in fact, a disgraceful dis- 
turbance. 

The Gaelic League, as every one 
knows, is non-pollUcal and unsectarian 
and had absolutely nothing to do with 
the disturbers. Advanced Nationalists 
like Mr. John O'Leary have since taken 
opportunity to disclaim all knowledge 
of 'the afialr which was gotten up by 
a small irreconcilable faction who call 
themselves "The People's Protection 
Society." 

It is asserted that the disturbers 
really belonged to a small notoriety- 
seeking association recently formed for 
the purpose of exciting a feeling of 
hostility towards any proposal for pre- 
senting an address to the King on the 
occasion of his approaching visit to 
Dublin. 

Had they been engaged by the ene- 
mies of Ireland for the specific pur- 
pose of bringing discredit on the Irish 



party they could not have performed 
their part any better. 

After an uncalled for interruption 
which brought on a violent row the dis- 
turbers were ejected from the hall by 
force. Their object in invading the 
hall was, it seems, to question Lord 
Mayor Harrington, who presided, re- 
garding his attitude toward the pro- 
posed visit of King Edward to Ireland. 

No one questions their right to ask 
questions of the Chief Magistrate of 
the city of Dublin, but there is a time 
and place for everything, and the ex- 
ceeding bad form displayed on that 
occasion by Mrs. McBride, Mr. Martyn 
and their followers is decidedly repre- 
hensible. 

Our artist has tried to express the 
feeling of the majority of American 
Gaels regarding Mrs. McBride's appar- 
ent position in the matter. 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY of 
New York, have just published 
a play entitled "Where There Is 
Nothing," by the Irish poet and essay- 
ist Mr. W. B. Yeats, and are about to 
bring out two other worlcs of the same 
author — a book of essays entitled 
''Ideas of Good and Evil" and a new 
edition, with several added chapters, of 
"The Celtic Twilight." 



THE Welsh-American National Eis- 
teddfod, which is held annually 
in this country, opened on Sat- 
urday, May 30th in the Exposition 
Music Hall, Pittsburg, Pa. 

There were 10,000 Welsh reprefeenta- 
tives at the opening ceremonies. The 
prizes amount to $4,000 in cash. En- 
tries in some of the literary contests 
have been received from all parts of 
the world, many being from Wales. 



AN old Scotch farmer, being elected 
a member of the School Board, 
visited the school and tested the 
intelligence of the class by his ques- 
tions. His first inquiry was: 

'•Noo, boys, can ony o' you tell me 
what 'naething* is?" 

After a moment's silence a small boy 
in a back seat arose and replied: 

"It's what ye gie me t'other day for 
haudin' yer horse!" 



MISS HERMINE TEMPLETON, au- 
thor of that droll collection of 
Hibernian fairy stories just 
published by McClure, Phillips & Co., 
with the title "Darby O'Gill and the 
Good People," is the daughter of an 
English army ofllcer. Although born 
in India, Miss Templeton by long resi- 
dence in Ireland has absorbed much of 
the Irish manner in story telling, and 
in her volume she has presented what 
are actually "legends of place" and 
folk-lore tales in a literary setting. 




THE IRISH JOAN OF ARC SOUNDS A NOTE OF DISCOIg:|qj^J2g^ ^^ \ 



.oogle 



184 



THE GAEU 



June, J903 





, HE Irish literary Society 
of New York, which 
was recently organ- 
ized, will present on 
Wednesday and Thurs- 
day, June 3d and 4th, 
at Carnegie Lyceum, 
Fifty-seventu Street 
and Seventh Avenue, 
three original Irish 
dramas by W. B. Yeats, the well- 
known Irish poet, with a picked cast 
composed entirely of professional 
actors. 

The first play is "The Pot of Broth," 
in one act, in Mr. Yeats' lighter vein. 
It deals in a humorous way with the 
manner m which a shrewd and wide- 
awake beggar-man gets his dinner 
from a stingy housewife by means of 
a magic stone warranted to produce 
any thing that its possessor desires. 

The second play is *'Cathleen-ni- 
Hoolihan " a one-act play, dealing with 
1798, the bewitching of a young man 
on the eve of his wedding by Cathleen- 
ni-Hoolihan, the spirit of Ireland, and 
his leaving his bride-to-be to fight and 
die for his country on the morrow. 

The third play is the "Land of 
Heart's Desire," which created such a 
favorable impression here on its pre- 
vious representation at Wallack's 
Theatre some two years ago. For the 
latter play the Society has secured 
Miss Mabel Taliaferro. 

Among others who will appear in 
these three plays are Mrs. Mary E. 
Barker, who for a decade of years was 
associated with the late Dion Bouci- 
cault in his Irish dramas; Miss Nora 
O'Brien, lately of Miss Le Moyne's 
company; Miss Dorothy Donnelly, who 
has been for the past season leading 
woman for Robert Edeson; Frank Mc- 
Cormack, stage manager for Mrs. 
Fiske in her recent production of 
"Mary of Magdala"; William P. Kltta, 
the well-known Irish actor, and Miss 
Molra L. Ray. 

The Society has secured the services 
of Henry F. Gilbert, the well-known 
composer of Boston, who will give for 
the first time his overture founded on 
Sir Samuel Ferguson's "Lament of 
Dlerdre," and who will also conduct 
the incidental music of the plays. 

These plays, together with Mr. 
Yeats' "Hour Glass," were recently 
given by members of the Irish Na- 
tional Theatre Society In London un- 
der the auspices of the Loudon Irish 
Literary Society. The various per- 
formances brought together large. In- 
terested and critical audiences, and the 
critics spoke in the highest possible 
terms of Mr. Yeats' work. 



Cbe Trisb Hlphabet^ 



ANEW Catholic quarterly, price 
one shilling, will be published in 
Scotland beginning next Au- 
tumn. The editorial policy of this new 
periodical will be strictly Roman 
Catholic, but the contents will not be 
exclusively ecclesiastical. 



Enc. 


LKlTERSk 


IMSH LXTTSRS. 


Irish 


Caps, 


SmalL 


Capitals^ 


Smaii. 


Sounds. 


A 


a 


A 


A 


an 


B 


b 


t) 


b 


be(t) 





c 


c 


c 


ke(t) 


D 


d 


T) 


•o 


dlie(t) 


E 


e 


e 


e 


ae 


F 


f 


r 


F 


fe(t) 


G 
H 


i 


I 


5 


m 


I 


i 


1 


1 


ee 


L 


1 


t 


t 


el 


M 


m 


m 


m 


ine(t) 


N 


n 


t1 


n 


en 


O 


o 


o 


o 





P 


P 


p 


P 


pe(t) 


R 


r 


n 


n 


er 


d 


s 


s 


r 


8e(t) 


T 


t 


c 


c 


the(t) 


U 


u 


w 


u 


oo 



Banba« 

THE current Issue of "Banba" con- 
tains the usual quantity of in- 
teresting literary matter, and 
its numerous illustrations are very 
fine. They include beautiful views ot 
Gougane-Barra and excellent portraits 
of Mr. William Doyle, the patriotic 
managing director of the well-known 
Wexford Engineering Works, and of 
Mr. McDonagh Mahony, the pioneer of 
the language and industrial revival 
movement in Kerry. 



Making Lingfuists* 

THE practice of exchanging chil- 
dren by parents living In French 
and German Switzerland, in or- 
der to enable their boys and girls to 
learn another language, Is spreading 
greatly In Italy. 

Recently an exchange agency to fur- 
ther this object was founded at Zurich. 
A Swiss cuiid has the opportunity of 
picking up three languages — French. 
German and Italian — at practically no 
cost to the parents. 

In about six months a child Is 
able to converse freely, and Is then 
sent to school to learn the grammar 
and literature of the newly acquired 
language. 



AN addition to the private printing 
presses, of which four already 
exist In the United Kingdom, 
their books being eagerly sought by 
collectors, will be founded in Dublin 
by two sisters of W. B. Yeats. Their 
first book win be a volume of their 
brother's poems. 



Latest Publications* 

"A Lad of the O'Friels." By Seumas 
MacManns. McGIure. PhillipB ft Go. 

"A Mummer's Wife." By Geo. Moore. 
New York: Brentano's. 

"Adventures with the Connaclit Ran- 
gers, 1809-14." By William Grattan. 
Edited by Charles Oman. New edi- 
tion (illustrated), with a preface, 
notes and maps. Cloth, pp. 340. New 
York: Longmans, Green & Co. $2.50. 

"A Lay of Osslan and Patrick with 
Other Irish Verses." By Steven 
Gwynn. Small 12mo. pamphlet. Dub- 
lin: Hodges, Figgis & Co. 

''Clashmore." By Edmund Downey 
("F. M. Allen", author of " fhrougfa 
Green Glasses," etc. Ss. net Simp- 
kin, Marshall & Co., Ltd., London. 

"Darby O'Glll and the Good People." 
By Hermlnie Templeton. New York: 
McClure, Phillips & Co. 

"Echoes from Erin." By William Wes- 
cott Fink. 12mo., pp. vil.-200. New 
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons; price 
$1.25 net. 

"Four Old-Irish Songs of Summer and 
Winter." Edited and Translated by 
Kuno Meyer. Demy 8vo., sewed, 28. 
net; 2s. 2d. post free. David Nutt, 
57 Long Acre. 

"The Dramatic Works of Richard 
Brinsley Sheridan," comprising 
Dramas, Poems, Speeches, Transla- 
tions and Unfinished Sketches, with 
a Short Account of His Life. IHub- 
trated. Two Volumes, printed and 
bound in library style. Crown 8vo., 
830 pages, cloth, extra gilt, gilt top. 
Price 12s. 6d. net Samuel Bagster 
& Sons, London. 

"The Confessions of Harry Lorre- 
quer." By Charles Lever. London: 
George Newnes; New York: Scrib- 
ner's In a flexible, green leatiier edi- 
tion, pocket size. 

"The UntiUed Field," By Geo. Moore. 
Phlladelpnia: J. B. Lippinoott Co. 

"Two Biographies of William Bedell, 
Bishop of Kilmore." With a Selec- 
tion of his Letters and an Unpublish- 
ed Treatise. Edited, with Notes and 
Index, by E. S. Shuskburgh, D. Lltt. 
Demv 8vo, 10s. net. London: C. J. 
Clay & Sons, Cambridge University 
Press. 

The Biography of a Great Diplomatist 
The Marquess of DuCíerÍn and Ava, 
Diplomatist, Viceroy and Statesman. 
By C. E. Black. In one large, hand- 
some volume, cloth, gilt, about 400 
pp. With 24 full-page illustrations 
and a photogravure portrait, 16b, net 
London: Hutchinson & Co, Paternos- 
ter Row. 

"Where There Is Nothing." Being 
Volume I. of Plays for an Irish Thea- 
tre. By W. B. Yeats. 12mo. Pp. 
209. New York: The MacmiUan Com- 
pany. |L25 netr> 

Digitized by 



"Google 



June, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



The Kerry Mermaid 

(TRANSLATED FROM THE IRISH). 



185 



<^ 




TINGE of gray faintly 
illuminating the mot- 
tled clouds in the east- 
ern sky was heralding 
the approach of dawn 
Just as Donal More 
and his men were 
coming ashore after 
having been all night 
j to sea. No sooner had 
those bronzed fisher- 
men Iftnded than they 
proceeded to temporarily store the 
flsh— their night's catch— in a hut on 
the beach, and this task completed they 
secured their boat in a sheltered cove 
in close proximity to the hut. 

Tired, sleepy and hungry the natural 
Impulse of those men was to reach 
home as quickly as possible, and by 
the easiest and most direct route. Their 
way lay along the strand for a mile 
and from the strand to the public road 
that led to their homes there was a 
short, narrow, rocky path beneath a 
tall cliff, and at high water this path 
was impassable. This passage was 
called Aghgar, the alternate way was a 
difficult path over a steep mountain, 
and to avoid this circuitous route many 
a desperate risk was taken and many 
a life was sacrificed in crossing the 
short but dangerous path of Aghgar. 

On coming to Aghgar it was yet dark 
but not too dark for the men to dis- 
cern that the tide was receding — a con- 
dition that made it possible for stal- 
wart men such as they were to cross 
with comparative safety. They clasped 
hands, Donal leading as usual, and no 
sooner had they entered the passage 
than they saw before them seated on a 
rock a woman adjusting her tresses. 
As soon as she beheld them she seemed 
to get alarmed, and quick as lightning 



By Michael O'Reilly, 

she dieappeared In the water. In her 
great anxiety to get away she forgot 
her mantle and DddeI instantly eeizecl 
U and held it firmly In his grasp. 

"That was the mermaid, or sea- 
nymph, about which we have heard so 
much," iiaid Donal, "^ut this is the first 
time I ever laid eyes on her, though I 
have been to sea early and late." 

Scarcely had he spoken theae words 
and while yet beneath the elifl when 
the woman returned and dtmanded her 
cloak* With this demand Donal re- 
fused to comply, and the mermaid 
threatened that she would send a 
mighty wave against tne cllfl thaL 
would overwhelm Uiem and sweep 
them into the depths of the ocean. 
This threat did not in the least alarm 
Donal for he had often heard that a 
mermaid had no more power than any 
other women after having parted with 
her mysterious mantle. When the 
men reached the road sne was still fol- 
lowing them and ceaselessly imploring 
Donal to return the garment, but her 
cries and screams and supplications did 
not in the least weaken his resolve to 
retain the cloak, and he folded it care- 
fully and secured it inside hie overcoat. 

The woman's great distress moved 
the other men to pity — pity, pernaps, 
not unmingled with fear. Old Donough 
acted as spokesman and remonstrated 
with DonaL 

"It is not lucky for you Donal," said 
he, "to keep such a strange thing, and 
It is not safe or wise for you to bring 
it into your fine house, and the mer- 
maid, the poor thing, will drop dead 
If you keep that cloak." 

"Luck, or iil-luclt," said Donal, "I 
will not part with the cloak, and as 
soon as I reach home I will lock it in 
the large trunk." 

The men were pained at Donal's 
strange behaviour but save an ex- 
change of ominous looks they did not 
venture any further persuasion. 

When the mermaid understood that 
there was no prospect of obtaining her 
cherished garment she regained her 
composure and followed Donal meekly 
to his house where she nenceforth took 
up her abode. 

Donal was at this time about thirty 
years of age, and though there were 
hundreds of good looking, modest, 
amiable young women within the cir- 
cle of his acquaintance, he was yet a 
bachelor. For a man in his station of 
life he was possessed of considerable 
wealth, in fact, he was the richest man 
in the barony. It was not necessary 



for him to follow fishing as a means of 
livelihood, but he always accompanied 
his men, and he was passionately fond 
of the sea. There was not from Va- 
lentia to Gape Clear an abler boatman 
than Donal; in the severest storm he 
could always manage to steer his boat 
to safety, and he was stalwart, clear- 
headed and fearless. 

As already stated, the mermaid made 
Donal's home her abode, and there was 
not in his household any maid as skil- 
ful, as deftj or as zealous in the dis- 
charge of her duties. She was a beau- 
tiful young woman and- Donal became 
enamoured of her when first he saw 
her seated on that rock beneath the 
cliff at early dawn passing her shapely 
fingers through her bewitching ring- 
lets. 

Shortly a great transformation came 
over Donal's temperament, he was no 
longer to be seen with his fishermen 
and he also absented himself from 
most of the social gatherings of the 
district He appointed Donough cap- 
tain of the boat, and although Don- 
ough, too, was an able seaman the men 
did not have the same confidence in 
him nor did they give him the same 
unquestioned obedience that they had 
unreservedly given to Donal. 

"What is coming over Donal at all," 
queried Diarmuid, "he cares for us no 
more. We wiss him very much, and it 
is many a long night he shortened for 
us with his stories and songs and 
pleasant words." 

"I am afraid," replied Donough, "that 
we won't see him very often again in 
this boat It was a bad day for us all 
when he met that mermaid or what- 
ever she is. He is so much in love with 
her that he has no thought for any- 
body or anything else. There is a 



186 



THE GAEL 



June J903* 



rumor that they are to be married next 
Sunday." 

"This is queer," said Diarmuid, "no- 
body ever heard of anything like it be- 
fore. I can't understand how a man of 
DonaUs standing can ever stoop to 
marry a mermaid that he knows noth- 
ing about, and that is not akin to any 
^ood old family. However, she is such 
a beautiful creature that it is hard to 
blame him for falling in love with her. 
We all know now why Donal was so 
stony-hearted on the morning that he 
first met her and why he refused to 
part with the cloak." 

The attachment of Donal to the mer- 
maid was discussed far and near and 
many ventured to predict that the mer- 
maid would take Donal to Tirnanog as 
Niad had taken Osslan a thousand 
years before. 

Donal and the mermaid were mar- 
ried and there was not in all Kerry a 
more loving couple than they. Nor 
had he any reason to regret his choice 
for the mermaid was a dutiful wife and 
an exemplary mother, and time only 
still more enhanced her in his esteem. 
She had an aversion to certain drinks 
and foods, she never tasted broths or 
roast meats, and she would not allow 
fish of any kind to be brought into the 
house. 

They had now been married over 
thirty years and they were blessed with 
a large grown-up family. The daugh- 
ters were like the mother remarkably 
handsome, and there were not living at 
that time any women who approached 
them in beauty, and they had qualities 
more enduring than beauty that en- 
deared them to their neighbors and ac- 
quaintances. The sons were tall and 
stalwart and they inherited their fath- 
er's passion for the sea. They were 
leaders in every manly exercise, and 
there was not in all Ireland more skill- 
ed and fearless seamen. Sons and 
daughters were verily a credit to their 
parents and their happy home was the 
rendezvous of scholars, seannachies 
and musicians. 

Everything prospered with this 
worthy family and with wealth came 
a desire for social distinction. To 
satisfy this desire they purchased a 
fine residence in the capital city of the 
province. All arrangements having 
been completed the moving day arriv- 
ed and moving was then even a more 




formidable task than now, for the vans 
of over two hundred years ago were 
rather primitive, and the ideal roads 
of to-day were then unknown. 

It was long psLSt midday when the 
heavy laden wagons were ready to pro- 
ceed to the city. The family were 
seated in their coaches ready tor the 
Journey when the mother alighted from 
her coach and returned to the house 
presumably tor something she had for- 
gotten, or perhaps to take another look 
at the interior of a home In which she 
had lived so long, where she had spent 
the happy days of youth, where her 
children were born, and where she re- 
sided until arrived at serene and con- 
tented old age. 

On passing through one of the now 
almost empty rooms — empty of every- 
thing worth removing— she noticed 
that a large trunk that contained mis- 
cellaneous old articles had fallen to 
pieces, and the contents were scattered 
broadcast on the floor. 

She stooped and picked up what ap- 
peared to be an old dust-covered, well- 
worn garment, and no sooner did she 
grasp it than she laughed so loudly 
that her laugh was heard all over the 
village— if Donal had forgotten the 
magic mantle not so had the mermaid 
—in an instant she regained her form- 
er youth and beauty, she no longer 
cared for husband and children, and 
swifter than the velocity of the March 
winds she returned joyfully to her be- 
loved Tirnanog on the blue rim of the 
western ocean. 



Squeezes. 

A CERTAIN weekly wakes up its 
delinquent subscribers in this 
lively fashion: "It is said that a 
man who squeezes a dollar never 
squeezes his wife. A glance at our 
subscription book leads us to believe 
that many women in this section are 
not having their ribs cracked. Come 
In and settle and show that all's right 
at home." 

A glance at our subscription list will 
show that there are more women 
around Hazel Green who have not been 
squeezed in the last two or three years 
than any other part of the State. — 
Hazel Green Herald. 




June, Í9Í)3» 



THE GAEL. 



187 





HE following Interesting and 
curious deed or agreement in 
the Irish language, between 
the Elarl of Kildare and Mac- 
Geoghegan of Westmeath, is 
preserved in the British 
Museum of London. It has never been 
put before the general public until 
now. A photographed fac-simlle of it 
may be seen in the Royal Irish Aca- 
demy, in the National Manuscripts of 
Ireland. 

The original manuscript is so de- 
faced, blotted, written in such a bad 
hand, and the words are so contracted 
that the full forms of some of them 
cannot be much more than guessed at 
It is carelessly and incorrectly written, 
and it is difficult to give a proper 
translation of it. The following trans- 
lation is, with the exception of a few 
words, the one given in the "National 
Manuscripts of Ireland": 

The deed was drawn up in the year 
1510. At that time the MacGeoghegans 
were lords paramount of that part of 
Westmeath in which both the Coill- 
Tubairs, or, as they are now spelled, 
Kill-tobar, are situated. One of them 
is in the barony of Moycashel, and the 
other in the barony of Kilkenny West, 
parish of Drumrany, County West- 
meath. Rath-drishoge is also in the 
barony of Moycashel. 

It is the only townland of the name 
given in the list of townlands in the 
census published by the Government in 
1851, so it seems pretty certain that 
the Rath-drishoge mentioned in the 
following deed is the one in the barony 
of Moycashel, for the MacGeoghegans 
owned the country in which it is situ- 
ated. Whether it is the Kiltobar of the 
barony of Kilkenny West, or of that of 
Moycashel that is centioned in the deed 
must remain in doubt. 

The MacGeoghegans had also a castle 
at Lisande in Kilkenny West The re- 
mains of the road that led from it to 
the castle of Kiltobar are plainly vis- 
ible. It is sUU called the "old road." 
If there was a place called Rath-dris- 
hoge, in the barony of Kilkenny West, 
the name is now unknown in it; but 
that is not to be wondered at, for the 
Irish names of townlands, sub-divis- 
ions of townlands and of fields have 
been changed or lost by the thousand 
since Irish has ceased to be spoken by 
the peasantry and farmers. 

No less than six Irish names of 
townland sub-divisions and of fields 
have been within fifty years totally 



lost in the townland in which I was 
born, so it need not be wondered at 
that the name Rath-drishoge, if there 
ever was a place of the name in the 
barony of Kilkenny West, should be 
lost also. 

Here is the deed, and its translation, 
as well as it can be made out If there 
were any signatures to it, they do not 
appear in the photographed fac-simile: 

-Amen. In X)ei nomine. 

-Ar e f e cott A|i a bf uai|i SeAfiotx), tnic 
ComAif mic Sheotn, i. ía]\Ia Chille X>a^a . 
. . 5t^eim r\A UACA-'otitfeosutje o ÍAijnec 
rriAC ConlA mtc ^c^-óe buixie i. cijcAimA 
Chmeoit pAéAÓA, ocuf coil fleAÓCA Ac-óa 
bui-óe T fleccA tleil ocuf pcAfiJAil ftuAto 
ÓU151 fin, 1. An ciAtilA -DO C055A1I Coille- 
cobuift in A «ttlAith pein o pL Con6ubAi|i 
■00 f Anncuij feA|tAnn ctomeim -do ^éAnAm 
•Di ; ocuf A 5cu|i T)ocum cofA -DO jenAm f e 
rtlAC eocAjAn ; ocuf ACA o tTlAC eocAjAn 
iQo'n lAflA A [5]cenn in f cAfiAnn ruj [fe] 
x)ó, X)ócinn An comcf uim fin -do jenAiti, 1. 
IcAC niAf5 A|i Coill-cobuin fern t>o jnAC 
.•00 fein ocuf -d'a uiac in a t)eA5ui-ó ocuf 
■o'a f I1ÓC ; ocuf T)A mbeic coja-ó a\\ 'n 
lAflA fe f icf A-Ó fe A IcAf fiA (r)Coill- 
rubuif -o'fAJAil T>ó, X)ocum in cojuix»; 
ocuf T>A mbeic f Ann A151 t>o f icfAt» Alef 
f iA ( ?) comuif le in lAf La -do senAm, Af 
Coitl-cobuif -oo beic Af mAici ftf in 
f Ann ; ocuf -oa mbeic nAc cijf a^ -do 
mhAC eoÓAjAn no -d'a flióc, Coill- 
cobuif "00 bAffdAÓc, in c-lAflA -oo 
éuf bAf ft)A innci. 

TRANSLATION. 

"Amen, in the name of God. 

"This is the manner in which 
Garrett, the son of Thomas, son of 
Shane, Barl of Kildare, obtained 
possession of Rath-drishoge from 
Lighnach, son of Connall (MacGeo- 
ghegan), son of Hugh the Yellow 
Lord of Cineal Fiachiadh,* and the 
descendants of Hugh the Yellow 
and of Farrell the Red were con- 
senting to that namely, the Barl 
(of Kildare) to take Coilltubuir in- 
to his own hands from the race of 
Connor, who desired to make 



•"Clneal Fiachaidh. —This seems to be 
a mistake, as, so far as I remember, the 
MacGeo£rhegans were known as the Cln- 
eal Flachach. The word that has been 
translated "Fiachaidh" Is written in such 
a contracted manner in the deed that It 
Is Impossible to know exactly what It Is. 



sword-land of it, and he is to force 
them to make terms with MacGeo- 
ghegan; and there is to be given 
from MacGeoghegan to the Earl on 
account of the land (he) gave him, 
in order to do rightly, half a mark 
out of Coill-tobuir itself in perpet- 
uity to himself and to his son after 
him and to their posterity. And if 
there should be war on the Earl, 
and that it should be advantageous 
to him to get Coill-tobulr for the 
purposes of war, or if he should 
have an ally to whom it would be 
advantageous, according to the 
Earl, Coill-tobuir to be given to 
such an ally; and if it should hap- 
pen that MacG^eoghegan or his des- 
cendants should not be able to de- 
fend Coill-tobuir, the Earl to put 
defends into it." 

A few words of explanation regard- 
ing both the English and Irish of the 
above deed may be useful to some. 
"Sword-land" was applied to districts 
that had been conquered by one clan 
from another, land that had been won 
by the sword. Who the "race of Con- 
nor" were seems unknown. They might 
have been a branch of the MacGeoghe- 
gans. A "mark" was about 13s. 4d. in 
modem money. 

It is evident from the small amount 
that McGeoghegan was to pay the Barl 
of Kildare in acknowledgment of the 
Earl's supremacy over Rath-drishoge 
and Coill-tobuir, that there could not 
have been much land attached to them, 
and that it was the castles that were 
on them that the E^arl of Kildare val- 
ued most This is in a great measure 
proved by the word "bardacht" and 
"barda," meaning guarding and 
guards. The word "bard" is now used 
only as meaning a poet, but it also 
meant in ancient times one of a garri- 
son, and "bardacht" meant a garrison, 
and was never applied to soldiers in 
the field. 

The Irish of the deed is neither as 
correct nor as modern as the Irish of 
other deeds written about that time or 
even earlier. Very few of the many 
deeds and agreements that have been 
preserved in Irish are correctly writ- 
ten. There are about twenty to be seen 
in the Royal Irish Academy; but most 
of them are far from being specimens 
of good Irish. None of them was writ- 
ten before the Anglo-French conquest, 
or settlement of Ireland; and it is an 
undeniable fact, no matter to whom it 
may refer or be disagreeable, that Ho 



188 



THE GAEL. 



June, 1903. 



sooner did the Anglo-Normans, or to 
us a more correct term, the Anglo- 
French, set their feet in Ireland than 
everything in it declined — arts, learn- 
ing, language and everything express- 
ed by the word civilization. 

The most correctly written of per- 
haps any deed or agreement in modern 
Irish, is one drawn up about the year 
1640 between the MacQeoghegan and 
the Fox, or the "Sionnich," as the clan 
were called at the time. It was print- 
ed many years ago in some book by the 
Royal Irish Academy, but I do not re- 
member where. The original docu- 
ment is, or was recently in the posses- 
sion of Sir Richard Neagle, of West- 
meath. It is a lamentable fact that 
the name Geoghegan is now one of the 
scarcest in the very district where the 
clan owned so much land in ancient 
times. 



Beyond the Allotted Span. 

MRS. ELLEN O'MULLANE, who 
had achieved the amazing age 
of 115 years, died two years ago 
this month at Gneeves, near Millstreet, 
County Cork. She left behind her 
three daughters, the oldest being 82, 
and she had besides twenty-five grand- 
children and eighteen great grandchil- 
dren. It would have been interesting 
to have been able to bring Mrs. O'Mul- 
lane into company with the next oldest 
inhabitant in Ireland who lived to see 
King Edward on the throne, and who, 
for all one knows, is still alive to-day. 
She is — or was— Mrs. Whelan, of 
Glough, County Kilkenny, and was 
born almost further back than we can 
think— in 1787. 

She was bom before Napoleon had 
seen a battle, and she lived for thirteen 
years in an Ireland ruled by a Parlia^ 
ment on College Green. Her father 
was a blacksmith, who shod the 
horse of Myles Byrne, the rebel, and 
Mrs. Whelan has never forgotten being 
compelled to witness the hanging of 
her father to a cart shaft 

The last heard of Mrs. Whelan was 
that she was living in great poverty at 
Clough, and if she is still alive it is 
not true that Mrs. Neve -v^as "the 
King's oldest subject" There is a 
shepherd working for his living on the 
banks of Allan Water at 102 years of 
age, and an Irishman living in St. 
Peter's House, South Lambeth, reached 
his 106th birthday last month; but 
these become mere youngsters in com- 
parison with Noah Roby, who lives in 
New Jersey. 

We are apt to pooh-pooh the case of 
longevity we read in ancient history, 
but there seems no doubt that Noah 
Roby has Just reached the age of 130. 
Noah's story is as incredible, no doubt, 
as if one said he had built the Ark, but 
his age is believed to be 130 by the au- 
thorities of the poor-house in which he 
has spent the last thirty years. Noah 
is almost blind, but in other respects 
retains his faculties. He has smoked 
for 120 years, and, in his own words, 
"has had plenty to eat all his life and 
enjoyed himself as much as most men." 
— rh€ Monitor, London. 



Gurpet-Making in Ireland^ 

OUR LondMi correspondent writes: 
"It is not, I believe, generally 
known, even in Ireland, that 
there exists in County Donegal an in- 
dustry which gives constant employ* 
ment to nearly a thousand young wo- 
men, who are engaged by Messrs. Mor- 
ton, of Darvel, in making tufted car- 
pets from Oriental designs supplied to 
them by Messrs. Liberty & Co., of Re- 
cent Street, London. 

Messrs. Liberty, who are manufac- 
turers of artistic fabrics, have given 
these carpets a thorough trial, and they 
unhesitatingly pronounce them to be 
equal in every respect to anything of 
the same description Imported from 
the Ottoman Empire or Persia. 

With a view to extenaing the indus- 
try in the west of Ireland, Messrs. Lib- 
erty have engaged the Grafton Gallery, 
Bond Street, London, where for a week 
fully a hundred specimens of Donegal 
carpets will be displayed on the walls 
and floors of two spacious rooms. 

At a private press view, recently, I 
Inspected the collection, and was as- 
tonished at the examples of work and 
art, both in coloring and design. The 
carpets are all pure wool, dyed with 
vegetable dyes by the same hands that 
deftly construct the tufts or mosaics of 
small woollen squares. 

They are of all sizes. I was particu- 
larly struck with one carpet, having a 
ground of lichen-green, with turquoise 
blue and cream introduced. Then 
there was another that arrested my 
attention, a tulip design, with melon 
shaded green arranged in separate 
panels. 

And there was another, a hearth-rug, 
designed by Mrs. G. F. Watts. This 
rug is symbolical — ^the hearth, the cen-. 
tre for love and happiness; the heart, 
the symbol of love; the cross, of ex- 
pauBion; the dragons, caretakers; light 
and dark chequers, the sign of watch- 
fulness, the birds, pelix^n feeding her 
young with her own blood, all deftly 
introduced. The colorings are crim- 
son, red, olive, green and china blues, 
relieved with cream. The size of the 
rug is 9 feet by 4 feet 

Messrs. Morton, who have founded 
this national industry, very properly 
claim support for these Irish hand- 
made carpets upon comparison of rela- 
tive merit and value. The exhibition 
will certainly open the eyes of the 
wealthy classes in London to these ex- 
quisitely beautiful Irish products, and 
to their eminent suitability to the 
modem style of furnishing. 



Welsh Antiquarian Dead« 

CHANCELLOR SILVAN EVANS, 
rector of Lanwrln, Montgomery- 
shire, died recently. The deceas- 
ed was a Welsh antiquarian of note, 
and was engaged on a Welsh Diction- 
ary after the style of Dr. Johnson. 
Several numbers have been published, 
and his death will leave the work in- 
complete. 



My Irish Witdu 

SHE rides no magic broom, ther 
say. 
On strange nocturnal missions. 
Nor does her taste in dress obey 
The most approved traditions; 
But Och! the darlint's witching eyes! 

They're safest at a distance. 
For in each tender glance there lies 
A spell beyond resistance! 

She does not stir, with mystic sign 

Or muttered incantation, 
A cauldron deep — ^this witch of mine 

Would scorn such occupation; 
She culls no herbs at midnight's hour 

To mix a lover's potion. 
But faith! her rosy lips have power 

To win a life's devotion! 

No ancient Book of Magic, rich 

In necromantic treasure 
Knew half the charms my Irish witch 

Can exercise at pleasure. 
Och, shure! to break her spells I've 
found 
A fruitless, vain endeavor— 
My heart, by Love's sweet witchcraft 
bound. 
Is hers alone for ever! 

—MARY PARRAH, L.L. A. 



The First Good Friday* 

RESEARCHES conducted by Prof. 
Hans Achelis, of Kdnigsberg, on 
the basis of a series of most ex- 
act calculations made by the Royal 
Astronomical Institute in Berlin, have 
established with what seems to be a 
high, degree of historical accuracy the 
fact that the date of the crucifixion 
was April 6, in the year 30. How Prof. 
Achelis arrived ait this result he ex- 
plains in a paper published in the pro- 
ceedings of the Royal Scientific Society 
of Gdttingen. 

The four Evangelists, it is pointed 
out, agree that Our Lord died on Fri- 
day, and according to St. John the day 
was the 14th of the month Nisan, when 
the Passover lamb was being prepared; 
but according to the three other Evan- 
gelists Christ had already partaken of 
the Passover meal, and was crucified 
on the first day of the Passover, that 
is the 15th of the Month Nisan. The 
year is nowhere mentioned, but it was 
during the governorship of Pontius 
Pilate, who was appointed in the year 
26 and removed just before Easter in 
the year 36. 

From the material supplied to him 
by the Astronomical Institute, Prof. 
Achelis found that during these ten 
years the 15th of Nisan never fell on 
a Friday, but that the 14th of Nisan 
fell on a Friday twice, namely, accord- 
ing to our reckoning on April 6th, in 
the year 30, and April 3d, in the year 
33. The precise data given in Luke 
ill., and the fact that the statement in 
John 11:20, could only have been made 
in the year 27-28 prove that Our Lord's 
ministry ended In the year 30. 

From this agreement of astronomi- 
cal calculations with the Bible record 
we have, concludes Prof. Achelis, good 
grounds for accepting April 6th of the 
year 30 of our era as the date of the 
first Good Friday. — London Daily 
Chronicle. s^ 



June, 1903* 



THE GAEU 



189 




pilmeAcc tiA nsAeoeAl 




tioss CAtA oscAiii rhic oisin 

pcAjtjuf, pile f inn, jxo, éAn. 

^M^'S» ^ OfCAiji felt, 

-A f i|t An éof 5Ai|t 6]iuAi*ó, 

tet)' bjtACAiJ Á15, 

t)ei|i neAfc -j buAi-ó. 

^ mtc Oifin nA mbéimeAnn, 

S^b r|ieife 5A6 cotiitAinn, 

tlÁ f éAc ■00 ihéAX) f ofilAinn 

A|i éAé no 50 T)cúi|tlionn. 

t)í niA|t tomn cuite, 

tló mA|i tfom-tetne, 

Cé lioniiiAfi An buile, 

t)ei|t ttijte A|iAile. 

A Jnúif ip CAOin C|tT)tA, 

éljUS 1 T)CU1f CACA, 

^ F^TS "'o jorA 

-A niei|t5e if "oeAH5 "OAtA. 

X)A bUA^AC "DO tuf Af , 
"OO CACA T)Á n-AniAf , 

Cuif f Iaca TIÁ jcuniAf ; 

Cé 50 cfiotAé ÁlAinn, 

X>\ 50 f újAÓ f I'n-binn, 

jA ca|ia bAn eijiCAnn, 

tÁm A|i ■00 jnúif TT)ín, 

OfCAn nA6 "or:u5 étteAÓ; 

gAé cof5AH ní obA'ó ; 

Cum cofiniAnn ■00 bnAtAÓ, 

|?An mó|i jAn T)oéf ac. 

PfiAOÓ jéif e -oo lAinne, 

Ó tfiéine -DO buille ; 

'S "DO luAUAf fCAé jAÓ "ouine, 

tuACf A fA nA jcoinne. 

A f Laic nA f IcaJ foónAÓ, 

ITlAlt ■00 tut A|t eAÓf AÓ; 

beifi IcAC *oo fStAc óof cf a6, 
Á f m nÁ\\ t|iéi5 Ai6fe, 
"Oo f LeAJ 50 fÁft)A f Áinij. 
te hÁj "OO tnoft-nieAnniAnn ; 
"Oo clAi-oeAth nA -oi-oeAn 
"Oo (ilAOiX) fCAft néif CAnn ; 
"Oo jeAjt-tonn "OÁ mbuAtA'ó, 
'OéAn cAnAX) "da bpiAnnAib; 
"Oo ^Aifje nA f uAfA^ 
PfCAfOAlt If éiitij. 

(Literal Translation.) 

The Battle Song of Oscar, 
Son of Oisin« 

By Fergus, the Poet of Fionn. 
Arise, thou generous Oscar, 
O man of hard-fought conflicts. 
Under thy valorous banner, 
Win power and victory. 
O thou son of Oisin of the Blows, 
Gain superiority in every contest; 
Look not to thy greatness of power 
Over man, until he is prostrated. 
Be as a tide wave. 
Or as a great fire, 
Though its rage may be furious. 
As kings were of old. 



Thou of the wild counten^ce, 

Arise in the front of battle, 

Through the wrath of my voice, 

O banner of reddest color. 

Let thy march be successful, 

Thy battalions attacking; 

Deprive princes of their power. 

As thou art well-shaped and handsome 

Be merry, and ever melodious. 

Thou friend of Erin's women. 

Place thy hand on thy gentle forehead, 

Oscar who never told a falsehood, 

Nor slaughter ever shunned. 

Raise the terror of thy standard; 

Be potent without cruelty, 

Envenom the keenness of thy sword 

From the power of thy blow, 

And thy expertness above all others; 

Hasten to meet them. 

O prince of the spears of freedom, 

Great is thy vigor on a steed; 

Bring with thee thy blood-stained 

shield. 
Thou man who has not forsaken thy 

fathers. 
Thy spear has been adapted 
To the valor of thy great prowess, 
Sheathe not thy sword 
From slaying the men of Erin, 
Let thy keen-edged blade strike them 

down. 
Thin the ranks of their Fenians, 
Let thy valor not grow cool. 
Prepare, and march forward! 



lontfitiin cfii. 

lonmum cif An cif ux) cfoif , 
^tbA to n-A bionjAncAib ; 
floóA x)Ciocf Ainn Aifce itte, 
muDA t)riocf Ainn te riAoife. 

lonniuin 'Oún poxjAij 'f "Oun pnn 
lonihuin An "Oun of a 5cionn 
lonihuin Inif "Of oijncAÓ -oe 
4\5Uf lonmum "Dun Suibne. 

<A Óoitt ÓuAn ! on, a Óoitt ÓuAn I 
5uf TicijeA-o -Ainnle, mo nuAf I 
gAif It) tiomf A f o bi Ann 
If flAoife 1 n-iAftAf -AtbAn. 

gtcAnn tAOi"ó ! on, 1 ngtcAnn tAOi-ó, 
"Oo oo-oLAinn f Á'n CAf f At) éAOim ; 
lAf5 If oinpeoit If fAiLt bf U1C, 
|?A bi mo 6uit> 1 ngteAiin íaoi^. 

^teAnn fhAfÁin ! on, 5LeAnn TTlAfAin 1 
Á^i-o A óneAm, 5eAt a JAfÁin ; 
"Oo 5ní"ómíf cot)tA-ó cof |tAé 
of inbeAf mon5Aé ITlAfÁin. 

gteAnn -AfáAin I on, ^leAnn ^féAin 1 
"pA be 5teAnn t)ifeAc t>nuim-éAOin ; 

flOOAf b'uAttAÓ fCAf A AOIfe 

'nA mo flAOife 1 n^tcAtin -Af ÓAin. 

gtcAnn eicce! u6 on glcAnn etcée! 
Ann t)o tójbAf mo 6éAt)ti5e ; 
x^tAinn A fio-ó lAf n-éif5e, — 
l)Aite j;néine gteAnn Cicóe. * 



5teAnn t)Á TIua*ó ! on ^toAnn t)Á XIvíóX) ; 
trio éion 5a6 Aon f CAf t)Áfi' T)UAt : 
binn 5ut cuAiée Af éf Aoib ójtuim 
Afi An mbinn óf gteAnn t)Á TIua*ó. 

lonmuin "Of oijin óf uféAn Cf Á15, 
lonmuin a uifje óf jAinim jtAin; 
rioÓA t)CioCFAinn Aifce i6e 
muDA T)ciocFAinn tem' lontfiutn. 

(Literal Translation.) 

Deirdre^s Lament on Leaving; 
Alba* 

Dear the land, yon to the eastland, 
Alba with its wonders; 
I would not have come from it hither, 
If I had not come with Naoise. 

Dear Dun Flodhaigh, and Dun Fionn, 
Dear the Dun above them; 
Dear In is Droighneach. too, 
And dear Dun Suibhne. 

wood of Cuan! alas! O wood of 

Cuan! 
Whither used to come Ainnle, alas! 
Short to me was his stay there. 
With Naoise to the west of Alba. 

Glen Laoidh! alas! in Glen Laoidh, 

1 used to sleep under my soft covering; 
Fish and venison and badgers' meat 
Was my portion in Glen Laoidh. 

Glen Masan! alas! Glen Masan! 
High its hart's tongue, fair its stalks; 
We enjoyed a rocking sleep 
O'er the grassy harbor of Masan. 

Glen Archan! alas. Glen Archan! 

It was the straight glen of pleasant 

ridge; 
There was not a more gallant man of 

his age 
Than my Naoise in Glen Archan. 

Glen Eitche! alas, O Glen Eitche! 
There I built my first house; 
Beautiful its wood upon rising; 
The sun's retreat Is Glen Eitche. 

Glen-da-Ruadh! alas, Glen-da-Ruadh! 
My love to each man to whom it is 

native; 
Sweet cuckoo's note on curving bough, 
On the peak o'er Glen-da-Ruadh! 

Dear is Droighin, o'er the stem strand 
Dear its waters o'er pure sand; 
I would not come from It at all 
If I did not come with my beloved. 




Digitized by 



190 



THE GAEL. 



June, 1903. 




International Automobile Race in Ireland* 



ALL the essential arrangements 
for the international automobile 
race, to be run on July 2d over 
the Irish course, near Dublin, have 
been completed and the first maps of 
the route as finally amended in the 
House of Lords before the passage of 
the authorizing bill have reached this 
tide. As will be seen in the accom- 
panying map, the changes have made 
tte course more compact, cutting out 
two big triangles at opposite sides of 
the original course, and leaving an 
easily divisible course of about 100 
miles. 

The original course included the 
roads marked in dotted lines at the 
northeast and southwest comers. The 
final course, which is drawn in black 
lines, excludes these roads and has un- 
dergone slight modifications at Old 
KilcuUen and Athy. 

Various considerations — ^narrownesB 
of roads, badness of surface, dangerous 
comers and other dilficulties— suggest- 
ed these changes, the net result of 
which is to reduce the 
length of the course 
from 131 miles to 102^ 
miles. It is necessary 
to explain that the thir- 
teen miles of road be- 
tween Athy and the 
junction (marked A), 
below Old KilcuUen are 
counted twice in this es- 
timate. 

The race will start. In 
all probability, from a 
point on this road, and, 
following the arrows to- 
ward the southeast, will 
execute a figure of 8, 
thus: A, Ballltore, Cas- 
tledermot, Carlow, 
Athy; A, Kllcullen, the 
Curragh, Kildare, Mon- 
asterevin, Maryboro, 
Stradbally, Ballylynan, 
Athy, and so back to 
the starting place. 

This stretch of thir- 
teen miles, which will 
be covered six times by 
each competing car, is 
beautifully straight and 
smooth, and will admit 
of the highest speeds. 
The race was to have 
been three times around 
the original course (393 
miles). It will be three 
and a half times (about 
360 miles) around the 
corrected course, and is 
expected to occupy near 
eight hours. 



Over this stretch, beginning at 7.24 
o'clock in the morning, the first Thurs- 
day of July will whirl a series of 
green, blue, red and white machines, 
the pick of the makes of Great Bri- 
tain, France, America and Germany. 

Great Britain, by virtue of the vic- 
tory of S. F. Edge last year will have 
the leading position at the start, and 
in honor of the Irish course, the Eng- 
lish machines will be painted. a vivid 
green. 

France gets second place with a blue 
Panhard, and an American car, to be 
painted red, will start third. Germany, 
the last team to enter, will be fourth, 
in a white car. 

Each of the first four cars to start 
will be numbered 1. The number 2's 
will start In the same order— green, 
blue, red cmd white— as will those 
numbered 3 and 4. 

The correspondent of the "London 
Times" describes the course, and his 
trip with the commission api)ointed to 
examine it, fix controls, etc., as follows: 



MAP OP THE COURSE FOR 
THE GORDON-BENNETT CUP, 



ffAAS/ 







CARLOW 



"The country in which the course is 
laid is smooth and undulating. There 
are few steep hills, but many long and 
gentle slopes admirably suited for fast 
racing. The roads, if not as straight 
as the French roads, are remarkably 
straight for Ireland; and there are at 
least three such perfect stretches of 
several miles as could hardly be bet- 
tered in the United Kingdom. Mr. 
Edge expresses the opinion that, as re- 
gards both straightness and surface, 
the course compares favorably with 
that on which he won the cup last 
year and with the course on which Mr. 
Jarrott, who will also be a competitor 
this year, won the Ardennes race. 

"The course is everywhere practic- 
able, and the parts which are rather 
bad are not nearly so numerous as 
those which are very good. The best 
sections include the double stretch of 
twelve miles between Monasterevin 
and Maryboro, the road, straight as a 
ruler for six miles, between Maryboro 
and Stradbally, and several perfect 
stretches on the Car- 
low-KIlcullen road. The 
second half of the road 
between Stradbally and 
Ballylynan is not 
good; and the Ballyly- 
nan-Athy road, though 
broad and straight, is 
very rough from the 
large coal traffic which 
passes that way from 
the mines at Castleoom- 
er to Athy. 

"The commission 
marked several perma- 
nently dangerous spots 
with flags, and many 
others more amenable 
to treatment will be 
eliminated by the coun- 
ty surveyors before the 
race. The repairs which 
these gentlemen have 
undertaken to make 
are. principally, steam- 
rolling the roads to a 
perfect surface, round- 
ing off bad corners, and 
levelling up the road on 
each side of the little 
bumpy culverts which 
are so common In Irish 
country districts. 

"These culverts pre- 
sent no dangers to slow- 
touring cars, but they 
provide racing cars 
moving at the rate of 
forty yards a second 
with a 'Jump-off' for 
leaps of thirty or forty 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



June, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



Í9I 



feet through the air. The cost of all 
these repairs which will be consider- 
able, will be largely met by the Auto- 
mobile Club; but it is hoped that the 
county councils and other public bod- 
ies in Ireland will make contributions. 

" 'Controls' — that Is to say, spaces 
through which the cars will have to 
proceed slowly under supervision of 
racing officials— have been arranged at 
Castledermot, Carlow, Athy and Kll- 
dare — five in all, since the 'control' at 
Athy will come into force twice in each 
round of the course. It was decided on 
Wednesday to avoid the necessity of 
a 'control' at Maryboro by taking in 
the little crossroad, marked in the 
map, which brings the course quite 
away from the town. 

"An important matter which the 
commission left still undecided after 
two days of careful consideration was 
the location of the point for the start 
and finish of the race. But it will 
probably be selected somewhere in the 
neighborhood of Tippeenan, a hamlet 
about three miles south of A on the 
double stretch between that point 
and Athy. The reasons in favor of 
this position are that, as I have ex- 
plained, the cars will pass six times 
over this road, and that a beautiful 
vista of straight road will enable their 
flight to be watched continuously for 
nearly five miles. 

"At the place chosen for the start 
and finish the club will erect a stand 
for members and an enclosure for the 
paying public. As for myself, if I am 
so fortunate as to be on the ground, I 
shall take my stand on the moat of 
Ardskull, a splendidly preserved Dan- 
ish fort about four miles north of Athy 
on the same road, which commands on 
one side a stretch of two miles, and on 
the other a stretch of four miles. The 
course is within an hour's railway 
journey from Dublin. Intending visi- 
tors by that route will do well to re- 
member that on the day of the race 
neither love nor money will buy a 
passage across the track, and that the 
only way to the inside of the course 
(from which any point on It may be 
reached) will be through the 'control' 
at Kildare. 

"Mr. Johnson and his assistants have 
still to grapple with the big problem 
of keeping the public off the course on 
the day of the race. It is made bigger 
by the fact that the Irish peasant adds 
to his traditional recklessness com- 
plete ignorance of the terrific speed of 
racing motor-cars. The races commit- 
tee of the Automobile Club suggests in 
the current issue of its official organ 
that the road should be divided into 
sections of a quarter of a mile, each in 
charge of two members of the club. 
This formidable army of 1,400 persons 
may possibly be increased by levies of 
the military and police, who would be 
extremely glad to give their aid, and 
by drafts on the local peasantry. 

"It is very certain that the Gordon 
Bennett Cup race of 1903 will more 
than repay the trouble of a visit to 
Ireland, even If the visitor abstain 
from the other and varied delights 
which the Automobile Club has ar- 
ranged for the public during its 'Irish 
fortnight' " 



Potato Culture in Ireland 

MR. RUSSELL, Inspector of the 
Department of Agriculture, 
during the course of an inter- 
view at Clonakilty, Co. Cork, which he 
had visited for the purpose of inspect- 
ing and giving advice in reference to 
the cultivation of a number of plots 
in which early potatoes are being 
grown for the English mar&et, said 
that there was a mine of wealth in the 
growth of early potatoes for sale in 
England, yei it was only last season 
that a few tentative experiments were 
adopted in this direction. 

In response to questions, Mr. Rus- 
sell emphatically asserted that this 
was one of the most profitable 
branches of agriculture if the potatoes 
could be placed on the market early in 
the season. In May exceptionally high 
prices were procurable; in June the 
prices were still good enough to se- 
cure very remunerative profits; and 
even during the early part of July the 
prices to be obtained paid much better 
than the ordinary or maincrop. 

The early potato season in London 
opened with potatoes from Malta and 
Tenerifte. In May the markets were 
supplied from the Jersey Islands and 
southern France, while in June the 
west coast of Scotland had the mon- 
opoly. Ireland, especially the counties 
of Cork, Kerry and West Clare, was 
eminently suited for this industry. The 
climate of West Cork was almost equal 
In salubriousness to that of tlie south 
of France, and the sandy, warm soil 
was well adapted to the growth of 
early potatoes. 

In support of this contention, Mr. 
Russell pointed out that early last sea- 
son potatoes from Clonakilty were sold 
in England at 8s. per cwt, and this, 
allowing from six to eight tons to the 
acre, which was the average yield, 
would mean at tiie rate of from £48 to 
£64 per acre for the crop. The Clon a- 
kllty men themselves estimated that 
they made an average of £40 an acre 
on what they sold. 

The experiment was only tried ten- 
tatively last season, but so successful 
was it, and so struck were some of the 
local merchants with its feasibility, 
that they organized a syndicate spe- 
cially for the growth of early pota- 
toes, and had rented a piece of land 
specially for the purpose. In all about 
twenty acres of early potatoes were 
being planted in the vicinity of Clona- 
kilty this season for sale in England, 
and it was hoped to dispose of those < 
at prices which would vary from £40 
to £60 per acre. 

Mr. Russell thought that with aver- 
age fair weather the crop would be 
ready for the market during the latter 
end of May or early in June, and this 
would be the most suitable and profit- 
able time of the year. 

In order to secure the best results 
the land must be specially prepared 
for the crop. It should be ploughed 
early in the Winter, and before the 
drills are made in the Spring the earth 
must be pulverized until it is very fine. 
The potatoes are sprouted in specially- 
constructed boxes, and are planted by 
hand, the buds being from four to six 
inches long at the time of planting. 



Ordinary farmyard manure is used, to- 
gether with a mixture of compound 
manure composed of the following per- 
centages: Nitrogen, 8 per cent; pot- 
ash, 4 to 5 per cent; soluble phos- 
phates, 18 to 20 per cent About 2S 
tons of farmyard manure and six cwts. 
of artificial is sufficient for an acre. 

Mr. Russell pointed out that even 
from a commercial point of view the 
project would be successful. All ex- 
penses, rent and transit included» 
would be covered by from £20 to £25, 
which would leave a net profit of near- 
ly the same amount He said that, so- 
far as he was aware, ^the only places 
where early potatoes were being grows 
in Ireland for the English market were 
Clonakilty, West Clare; Barrow, Co. 
Kerry; Rosse's Point and Strand Head» 
Co. Sligo, and Rush, Co. Dublin. In 
most of these places there were gen- 
tlemen carrying out the experiment 
from a commercial standpoint It 
might also be mentioned that in Clona- 
kilty a number of the experimenter» 
were growing vegetables for the Eng- 
lish market 

The greatest drawback, which th» 
Clonakilty gentlemen had to contend 
with last year was the lack of transit 
facilities and the high price of car- 
riage. The potatoes were sent to Liv- 
erpool in specially constructed barrels 
supplied by the Liverpool brokers, but 
the delay in receiving these on one or 
two occasions meant a loss of several 
pounds, the prices having been reduced 
from 8s. to 6s. per cwt in the mean- 
time. 

The carriage on the empty barrels 
was also excessive. The total amount 
of this was £5 8s. 2d. but owing to the 
intervention of the Department and 
Mr. Wallace, the Inspector, a rebate of 
£4 Os. 9d. was secured, and this week a 
further rebate of 9s. 6d. was received 
in Clonakilty, making the total rebate 
£4 10s. 3d, and the carriage on empties 
178. lid. instead of £5 88. 2d. This 
shows the work which will have to be 
undertaKen under the proposed Irish 
Development Scheme. 

THE GAEL will be sent to any ad- 
dress in the United States or Canada 
for one year for |1.00, or to any ad- 
dress in Ireland or Great Britain, on» 
year for 5 shillings. 

All subscriptions are payable in ad- 
vance. Checks or Post Office Mone^r 
Orders should be made payable to 
THE GAEL, 140 Nassau Street, New 
York. 

H£W YORK TO MEMPHIS 

Through Pollman buffet sleepers leavÍDg 

New York daily, via Penney Ivani a 

Railroad, Southern Railway and 



FRISCO 



BXCBI«Ui£NX BBRVICIB FROM 

MEMPHIS 

TO tLl^U POINTe IN XH9 

SOUTHWEST. 

Detailed i-^fortrationin re^rard to ra^es, train, 
service, etc., furnished upon appUcaiion lo 

F. D. RUSSEI«I«, General Eastern Agent. 
DigitizeO *«* aromáwa,, A.w VorkL 



192 



THE GAEL. 



Jun», J903. 




Notes of Interest 



IN one month more the Cork Inter- 
national Exhibition, which proved 
such a remarkable, success last 
Summer, will again be opened to the 
public Arrangements will shortly b« 
completed with all the English and 
Sootdi railway companies tor issuing 
special excursion rates to Cork. 



CANON ROBINSON, Waterford, 
has been appointed Vicar of Bel- 
fast in place of the Right Rev. 
Dr. D'Arcy, recently elected Protestant 
BliAiop of Clogher. The appointment 
carries with it the title of Dean of St. 
Anne's, Belfast 



ROBERT THOMPSON, the famous 
IrliAi piper, died in Cork recent- 
ly. Mr. Thompson gained notor- 
iety as a piper by winning first prize 
against all comers at the Fels Ceoll 
held in Dublin in 1897, and the follow- 
ing year at Belfast he was also suc- 
cessful in heading the list 



r[>GB CURRAN, at Birr, King's 
County, Quarter Sessions, recent- 
ly, said he was happy to announce 
there was no crlminar business to 
transact The Sheriff then presented 
his honor with a pair of white gloves. 
This is the third time within two 
years that white gloves have been pre- 
sented at the Birr Quarter Sessions. 



^ I 'WENTY-SIX of the tenants on 
I the estate of Mr. Quillamore 
* O'Grady, at Ballybehy, Limer- 
ick, Ireland, have been served with 
ejectments for non-payment of rent. 

The tenants recently proposed to 
purchase their holdings at seventeen 
years on their second-term rents, and 
offered to pay a half year's annuity or 
interest based on these terms. This 
proposal has been declined. 



AN enterprising delf and china 
manufacturing firm In Manches- 
ter has sent a representative 
over to Ireland to ascertain the qual- 
ity of the white clay to be had along 
the lyrone shore of Lough Neagh. 

In an Interview this gentleman in- 
formed a correspondent that he had 
struck on a bed of clay thirty feet 
deep, suitable for delf manufacture in 
the townland of Balljmakelly, adjacent 
to Coallsland, and he has sent samples 
of the clay to the firm. He states it is 
the intention of the firm to establish 
t pottery for the manufacture of 
earthenware and china suitable for the 
Irish trade. 




THERE is much complaint from 
Ireland because under the new 
Department of Agriculture there 
are many new offices created which 
did not exist before. The real super- 
intendent of the department is a 
Scotchman. Almost all the appoint- 
ments to situations of any importance 
or value are made from across the 
Channel. 



THE Shannon Water & Electric 
Power Company has been form- 
ed to provide a station or sta- 
tions in Limerick, and the surrounding 
area for the purpose of supplying elec- 
trical energy In bulk. 

To do this the unlimited power of 
the River Shannon is to be requisi- 
tioned. The area of supply is, rough- 
ly, a radius of thirty miles In Clare 
and Limerick, and includes many im- 
portant towns. 



AT Easter Quarter Sessions, Ennls, 
County Clare, Ireland, before 
County Court Judge Carton, K. 
C, decrees were granted In a large 
number of cases against tenants on 
the estates of the Marquis of Conyng- 
ham. Mr. H. S. Vandeleur, Westby P. 
W. Gore, B. Hickman, D. L.; Mr. 
Henn, Mr. Wilson Fitzgerald, Mr. J. 
Butler, Mr. Robert Bouchler, Mr. R. 
V. C. Chambers, Mrs. Olivia Creagh 
and Mr. Chas R. MacDonnell. The 
cases numbered fifty-four rent decrees 
and fourteen ejectments. 



The hish Transit Scheme* 

SEVERAL important details of the 
new Irish transport scheme have 
been obtained in Belfast 

Mr. Plrrle has recently been in Lon- 
don, but it has been ascertained that 
the capital Involved will be about two 
millions. 

Four distributing centers will be 
started In different provinces, with a 
series of sub-centers. The scheme will 
be worked out on the lines of the 
creamery movement, cuid motor 
vehicles will be extensively utilized to 
bring in produce. A large number of 
experts will be employed. 

It Is generally acknowledged that 
the lack of material prosperity in Ire- 
land has hitherto been largely due to 
the scarcity of transport facilities. Not 
only 80. but where transport facilities 
do exist the tariffs are so high that 
only an inflniteslmal margin of profit 
is left, far short of what Is required to 



encourage agricultural or Industrial 
activity. 

Of course, the central Idea is the 
utilization of motor cars. Each car 
will have a certain route to traverse 
dally, trl-weekly, bi-weekly, or week- 
ly, as the arrangement may be. The 
farmers will have their produce ready 
at the appointed time, and when the 
car has covered Its stipulated round 
It will make for the most convenient 
spot where the produce can be shipped 
by canal or otherwise to the cross- 
Channel markets. 

The great point for farmers will be 
a regular collection of produce, as will 
obviate the system prevailing at pres- 
ent whereby a grower Is never certain 
whether he will be able to sell his pro- 
duce or must allow It to decay. Thus 
the magnetic Influence of encourage- 
ment will be given to the Irish farmer 
and he will be Induced to do his ut- 
most to keep up the reputation of Irish 
produce, which, when received In good 
condition, can beat all foreign rivals. 

The project will be a distinct Im- 
provement on anything hitherto at- 
tempted, as it will embrace the pur- 
chasing as well as the transport of 
produce, so that the farmer will be 
able to sell and deliver at his own 
door, knowing that the produce will be 
shipped at the earliest possible mo- 
ment by the most convenient and 
quickest route to the best markets. 

The scheme will first be Introduced 
in congested districts of the West of 
Ireland, and will then be gradually ex- 
tended to all parts of the country. 
That it will be a boon to industrial and 
agricultural Ireland Is, of course, a 
mere truism, since It will afford the 
best means of reaching hitherto Impos- 
sible markets. With such facilities 
there Is sure to be a great revival in 
Irish agriculture. 

The London "Dally News" says: 

"Lord Iveagh's scheme for the Im- 
provement of transit services In Ire- 
land, 80 properly lauded by Mr. Wynd- 
ham. Is in reality a strong condemna- 
tion both of the railway companies of 
that country and of the policy of sub- 
sidies associated with the Prime Min- 
ister's regime as Chief Secretary. Mr. 
Balfour's policy of opening the country 
by railway extensions was good In It- 
self, but large sums of public money 
have gone under that policy, as en- 
forced, largely to assist the railway 
companies, against whom every man's 
hand Is raised In Ireland. 

"Some of the most important rail- 
way extensions In Ireland made under 
subsidies granted by Parliament have 
been to all Intents and purposes forced 
largely to assist the railway compan- 
ies. Moreover, a considerable charge 
is still made annually In the estimates 
In connection with these railway 
schemes. For the current year a sum 
of £107,214 Is asked for under this 
heading. 

"Where the authorities have failed Is 
In not compelling Irish railway com- 
panies to provide. In return for the 
many favors granted them, better 
transit facilities and cheap through 
freights, which are now left to private 
enterprise. 

Digiti 



zed by Google 



June, 1903. 



THE GAEU 



193 



A Gaelic Songstress: 




MI88 JULIA O'DONOQHUB. 

MISS JULIA O'DONOGHUB, whose portrait we present 
herewith, was born near Caherciveen, Co. Kerry. Ire- 
land, and came to the United States at an early age. 
Her father was one of the founders of the old Ossianic So- 
ciety in the early 50's that did so much for the preservation 
of the Ossianic literature of Ireland, and Is lineally de- 
scended from the O'Donoghues of the Glen. 

In and around the district of Caherciveen the people have 
always spoken and still continue to speak the Gaelic, and 
it was naturally the first language spoken by Miss O'Dono- 
ghue. 

She imbibed a love for its study from her parents. Her 
father, who is an accomplished Irish scholar and writer, 
has taken much pains to instruct his entire family in a 
mastery of the written and spoken vernacular. So ardently 
is he attached to the Irish tongue that he hardly ever speaks 
English in his own home. 

. When the subject of this sketch commenced her musical 
career she invariably sang the Irish melodies for her father 
in Gaelic, and under his tuition. It was not, however, 
until after she heard Mr. William Ludwig, the celebrated 
Irish baritone at a concert in Philadelphia, that she really 
gave the subject of Irish songs any serious considera- 
tion. 

Miss O'Donoghue had up to this time sung much in opera 
and at private recitals and musicales, but nothing had pre- 
viously inspired or impressed her so much as the singing 
of the Irish ballads by Mr. Ludwig. A few years later when 
the National Opera Company was organized by Mr. Ludwig 
Miss O'Donoghue became one of the prlcipal figures in that 
short-lived venture. It was during her short tour with that 
company that her Gaelic songs and the natural manner In 
which she rendered them, especially "The Coulin." "The 
Last Rose of Summer" and "The Harp" gained for her the 
title of queen of Gaelic singers. 

Miss O'Donoghue resides In Philadelphia and is an earnest 
advocate of the revival and cultivation of Irish music and 
Irish literature. In a lecture given by her recently on Irish 
music and song she dwelt at some length on the beauty of 



Gaelic, its soft harmonious sounds and sweet melody which 

when sung artistically subtly fascinates and haunts the 

hearer, and reminds one of the words of Frances Browne: 

"Sweet songs of our land you are with us for ever. 

The power and the splendor of thrones pass away. 

But yours is the might of some fast flowing nver, 

Of Summer's bright roses, or Autumn's decay, 
Te treasure th^ voice of each swift-passing ages. 

And truth which time writeth on leaves or on sand, 
Te bring us the bright thoughts of poets and of sages 
And keep them amongst us, sweet songs of our land." 

MR. W. B. YEATS, the poet, writes to "The London 
Times" a letter decidedly worth quoting: "Mr. 
Churton Collins has for many years commended ac- 
curate learning and the university teaching of literature as 
the only certain guides to good taste. It is, therefore, in- 
teresting to know that he himself, the accuracy of whose 
learning is notorious, thinks Blake's lines ending 'Did He 
who made the lamb make thee?' not only 'falsetto,' but. 
when taken from their context, 'nonsense pure and abso- 
lute.' 

"When I was a boy may father was accustomed to read 
to me passages of verse that seemed to him and to his 
friends great poetiy. and this very stanza was among them; 
and now that I have edited Blake, and thought much over 
every line that he wrote, I cannot think that cry 'Did He 
who made the lamb make thee?' less than a cry out of the 
heart of all wisdom. 

"A recent article of Mr. Churton Collins about the im- 
portance of learning as a guide to taste almost converted 
me to his opinion, but now I return to my own opinion 
that many a cultivated woman without learning is more 
right about these matters than all the professors." 



THE gi-eat hope of the newest revival of poetic drama 
in England lies, to my mind, in the fact that is is 
more independent of the Elizabethan tradition than 
any previous movement of the kind has been. 

Neither Mr. Yeats in his Irish folk plays, nor Mr. Stephen 
Phillips in his three remarkably successful experiments 
has permitted himself to be bound down by the manner- 
isms which so grievously handicapped, to speak of no oth- 
ers, such illustrious predecessors of theirs as Tennyson, 
Browning and Mr. Swinburne. 

Mr. Yeats, in common with M. Maeterlinck and certain 
other Continental playwrights of the latest school, obtains 
new effects by plunging deeper than the dramatist has 
hitherto been expected to plunge into the agitation and exi- 
gencies of the soul. He uses the symbol to awaken the 
mystical sense; he works before our eyes the psychological 
phenomena of mystery, and excites our curiosity with re- 
gard to those "invisible principles" on which the author of 
La Princesso Maleine delights to insist. 

In this species of drama, with its incessant suggestion 
of the unseen, the unknown, there is something childlike. 
It takes us back to the infancy of feeling, to the Maytime 
of the world. It does not pretend and would not desire 
to obtain gross successes in the popular theatres of large 
world centers. — Edmund Grosse, in the Atlantic Monthly. 



^^T^OEMS by Eliza Boyle O'Reilly," will be issued in the 

r^ Fall by Messrs. Lee & Shepard in a pretty volume 

containing some excellent things. Miss O'Reilly is 

the poet's pecond daughter, and was named for his mother, 

whom he always lamented as the real victim of his deatn 

warrant, for the news of his sentence was fatal to her. 

His daughter is a graduate of Elmhurst. has studied at 
Radcliffe, and has traveled in Europe during the greater 
part of the last few years, but her home is in Brookline, 
Mass.. with her younger sister. 

In a quiet way she has aided in "settlement work," taking 
classes, and entertaining her pupils in her own house, but 
her tastes have always been literary, and for some years 
she has been writing and rewriting her verses, and at last- 
has decided to publish them. 

Thev will probably appear in London also, but In an au- 
thorized form, not pirated like the recent edition of her 
father's "Moondyne." Perhaps it is worth while to note 
here that if anyone profited by the issue of that book it was 
not Mr. O'Reilly's orphan daughters, his sole heirs. 



Í94 



THE GAEL. 



June, Í903. 




Twenty-five Volumes Given for a Few Ideas. 



IN the march GAEL we offered 
twenty-flve volumes written by 
Irish authors, in exchange for any 
ideas that our readers may send in by 
which this magazine may be improved 
and its circulation increased. The 
winners will be announced in the July 
GAEL. Suggestions may be sent in 
any time until the middle of June. 
Parties interested in the contest are 
invited to read the offer in the March 
number. The following are from 
among a large number received: 

To Editor of THE GAEL: 

Sir — I am a regular subscriber to 
your magazine, and this shows that I 
like it; but I say that it is not so per- 
fect that it could not be improved. The 
following are some of the points which 
I consider would improve it, and in- 
crease its circulation many times: 

The name is most appropriate, and 
could not be improved upon, and the 
shape and size are most suitable. If 
you make an alteration let it be by in- 
creasing the number of its pages. 

The Irish language is far too high- 
classed, and therefore too difficult to 
interest the majority of your readers. 
What we want is "work-a-day" Irish, 
and not the Irish of the schools. There 
are few who aspire to a classical 
knowledge of the language, while 
there are many who desire a practical 
knowledge, so as to enable them to 
converse and read an ordinary publi- 
cation in that language. Give short, 
simple stories, items of news, witti- 
cisms, fables, proverbs, old Irish 
songs, etc., in the Irish language, and 
this department will become desirable 
to many of your readers. 

I am strongly opposed to all fairy 
tales, or tales of ghosts, headless 
horsemen, goblins, leprahawns, etc. 
No other country that I know has ad- 
mitted such silly trash into its litera- 
ture, and I wonder why has Ireland 
got a monopoly of them. They are 
most injurious to the youth, for they 
foster superstition, and they engross 
valuable time which could be employ- 
ed to better advantage. We live in a 
^'matter of fact" age, and we have to 
compete with "matter of fact" people, 
so we cannot afford the time to spend 
on a subject which brings neither 
recreation nor knowledge. Besides, 
they are overdone. They have all 
been repeated thousands of times 
around the turf fires of the Irish 
cablDs. Expunge them from your 
magazine. 

What the Irish want particularly is 
a knowledge of the history of their 
country, and the most fascinating 
dress to clothe history is the novel- 



novels after the style of Banim's 
"Boyne Water," and Griffin's "The 
Invasion." A good, sound, historical 
romantic tale of any of the many sub- 
jects afforded by our common country 
would be read by thousands with 
avidity. 

There is an inexhaustible mine of 
historical information in the countless 
numbers of old castles, monasteries, 
holy wells, etc., which could be ex- 
plored with much interest to Irish 
readers. The laws, manners and cus- 
toms of the ancient Irish is another 
fruitful field. Descriptive articles on 
Irish scenery, with any legends at- 
tached, and biographical sketches of 
eminent men and women would be 
read with delight. 

The fortunes of our countrymen in 
foreign lands should be treated so as 
to instigate emulation or to forewarn. 
It is useless to particularize, as the 
subjects are so varied. Whatever is 
written should have the true Irish 
ring about it— always aiming to foster 
patriotism, manhood and virtue. 

This has been the weakest point 
with THE GAEL, for it seemed indif- 
ferent to the nationality of Ireland. 
There is nothing which brings more 
eclat to a magazine than good poetry, 
as there is nothing which belittles it 
like Inferior poetry. It is better have 
no poetry than poetry of the "wishy- 
washy" kind. If poetry of a good 
standard cannot be obtained, then pro- 
duce selections from eminent poets of 
the past, in Irish or English. Davis' 
•*Fk)wer of Finae" was worth all that 
appeared in THE GAEL for a twelve- 
month. 

Have a department for wit and hu- 
mor, but be careful of palming off any 
insipid Jokes as true Irish wit. In this 
especially the article should be genu- 
ine. Open a question and answer col- 
umn. People like to get Information 
through the press; besides, you could 
give advice, and correct correspond- 
ence through this channel. 

I would have less space devoted to 
"Books." One or two reviews of the 
best Irish books of the month would 
be sufficient. There is no information 
in saying that a book is issued by such 
a publisher. I like the drawings — they 
are admirable. So much for the maga- 
zine, now a few words to yourself 
personally. 

Avoid siding with any of the politi- 
cal or social parties which make up 
our Irish race. Let them fight their 
battles out elsewhere. It is your mis- 
sion to supply them with readable 
matter, regardless of their politics or 
party. The pages of THE GAEL 
should not be open to any party or 



faction— literature never flourishes In 
strife. Qet a reputable Irish or Irish- 
American newsagent in every city, 
town, village and hamlet in the United 
States to sell the magazine, and have 
it thoroughly advertised throughout 
the land by bill and placard. Tou 
should seek subscribers, and not they 
you. Several years passed without my 
knowing that THE GAEL existed, and 
then only by the aid of a friend. If 
you work on these lines I have no 
doubt but the circulation of THBI 
GAEL, as it richly deserves, wlU 
shortly be increased a hundred fold. 
Waltham, Mass. T. C. 



To Editor of THE GAEL: 

Dear Sir — If the subscriptions would 
allow of the enlarging of THE GAEL 
by, say ten pages, I should advise ita 
enlargement. As to its make-up, I 
would recommend that its flrst page be 
occupied by a map, not necessarily 
colored, of Ireland. This for the pur- 
pose of enabling readers to understand 
thoroughly the historical sketches, 
which are, and I hope will continue to 
be, such an interesting feature of THBS 
GAEL. For instance, a map like what 
I mention would be of great help to* 
wards comprehending and remember- 
ing well the sketch of the Bourke 
family that has Just been concluded, 
as well, of course, as all other such 
sketches. It would add to THES 
GAEL'S usefulness as an instructor. 
To be sure, most of us have maps of 
th« old country, but then they are 
rarely at hand when we are perusing 
our GAEL. 

I believe you ought to print a little 
more Gaelic matter, present day Gae- 
lic, of course. A short story, or not- 
able newspaper article from some of 
the standard writers of the day, ^- 
ways with translation. Also some 
popular ballad, or one of the "melo- 
dies"; many people would thus be en- 
abled to learn in Gaelic songs they al- 
ready know in English. 

As regards pictures: Yes; pictures 
of old castles, abbeys, scenery, etc., 
and of living celebrities, but let them 
be celebrities. I would vote also for 
the portraits of eminent men of our 
race and friends of our race, such as 
the late Archbishop Croke, Gavan 
Duffy, Don Carlos O'Donnell, with lit- 
tle sketches of their lives when they 
have passed away 

Continued stories, almost without 
exception, I believe, ought to be avoid- 
ed. Few people keep up interest in a 
story which can be had only in small 
monthly instalments. 

Industries, and statistics dealing 



June, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



195 



with the social conditions, commerce, 
population and with such financial 
transactions as affect our people, yes, 
by all means, in a simple and concise 
manner. 

It has been often said that the 
poetry of the "Nation" had much to 
do with the splendid circulation and 
powerful influence which marked its 
early years. Like causes produce like 
effects, we are told. THE GAEL re- 
sembles the "Nation" in many ways, 
it is high class, intellectual, has a wide 
field in Irlsh'America, and is the only 
thing of its kind in the field. Poetry, 
therefore, of the sort that "Fear-na- 
Muntir" and "Ethna Carbery" wrote, 
and that "Irisolkyrn" and others 
write, would, to my mind, largely af- 
fect the circulation of THE GAEL, 
and affect it in the right way. 

I think it would be well to have a 
few columns devoted every month to 
an account of the life of some of the 
less known geniuses of our land: Lit- 
eratuers, painters, sculptors, with a 
photo of the subject of the sketch if 
possible; this would be interesting 
and enlightening. 

1 believe you should devote a page 
or 80 to leaderettes; I uilnk a news- 
paper or magazine without editorial 
comments seems someway timid, luke- 
warm or wanting in earnestness. THE 
GAEL used to have such a page as I 
mean a few years ago. 

Extracts from newspaper and maga- 
zine articles dealing with any phase of 



the Irish question, Gaelic Revival, 
Land Tenure, Home Rule, etc., to the 
extent of a page, more or less, I should 
welcome. Such selections would give 
us an idea of what figure we cut in the 
public eye, and help us to see our- 
selves and our affairs as others see 
them and us. 

I would, if I were you, offer a few 
prizes, say $5, $3 and $2, or something 
to that value, but cash is the most en- 
couraging, for the best essay or poem 
on some given Irish subject, open 
only to subscribers, or on whatever 
other conditions you might see fit to 
prescribe. The prizes of the Fireside 
Department of the "Weekly Freeman" 
long ago, had an excellent effect on 
the children and young people, and 
even on the parents as I happen to 
know by experience, and added con- 
siderably to the circulation of the 
"Freeman," already the most popular 
paper in the country. Of course, I do 
not suggest anything like a similar de- 
partment in THE GAEL, but merely 
mention the matter in connection with 
the prize idea. 

As to lowering the tone of THE 
GAEL, my advice is, don't There is 
no place for you in the lower market, 
it is all fully occupied. In doing so 
you would lose the greater part of the 
patrons you have, and you could 
scarcely hope to compete successfully 
in gathering the crowd, with those al- 
ready established there. 

New York City. T. M. 



Gaelic to Rebuild Ireland 

(From an Address by Fr« Coffey» B. D») 



rE Gaelic League alms at making 
and keeping Ireland Irish; it 
sees clearly that Ireland cannot 
be a distinct Irish nation without the 
Irish language; it holds that the Na- 
tional language enshrines the Nation's 
life and spirit, that if the NaUon's lan- 
guage goes the nation itself craves a 
tomb. It aims at Ireland a nation; 
and, therefore, first and above all, it 
aims at saving and preserving the lan- 
guage of the nation. 

It has counted the cost of the work 
it has undertaken; it has seen in tiiat 
work a struggle for the Nation's life; 
it has gone into that work determined 
to succeed. Writing on its banner 
"Native land and native language," 
adopted as its watchword manly self- 
reliance; knowing that "God helps 
those who help themselves," saying 
"here goes in the name of God," it 
threw itself into the work, and it has 
amply Justified its early hopes by suc- 
ceeding so far all along the line. It 
has steadfastly pinned its whole faith 
all through to the revival of the lan- 
guage as the motive power of all its 
work; and one who does not believe in 
and aim at work for the revival of the 
language ought not to call bimself a 
Gaelic Leaguer, nor does he understand 
the Gaelic League. 

The Gaelic League is a growing and 
a vigorous power in the country; and 
though it is still young it has left its 
mark on the history of the last ten 



years. People may ask. What has the 
Gaelic League done? I ask in turn. 
What has been the cause of the present 
industrial revival In all its phases? 
Most undoubtedly, the spirit and the 
teaching of the Gaelic League. What 
has Induced us to protest against the 
incompetence and bigotry of the rail- 
way systems that are stifling, by their 
short-sighted policy of impossible 
rates, the industry of the very people 
on whom they depend? The courage 
and determination instilled into us by 
the Irish revival. 

Why have certain newspapers ceas- 
ed to puff the indecent play and the 
caricature known as the stage Irish- 
man, and why have they become a lit- 
tle more Irish and more wholesome 
and more practical to read? Because 
the strong voice of Irish Ireland has 
made them. 

Why are our Irish games and past- 
times being revived? Because the 
Gaelic League wants to keep our young 
men and young women at home in Ire- 
land, and it knows well they often 
emigrate, not from want of employ- 
ment or labor at all, but from want of 
something to attract them and attach 
them to home and to give them a real 
interest and a real pride in their own 
country and kith and kin. 

All these things, my friends, and 
more, the Gaelic League has been do- 
ing and is doing every day; and now 
ask a Gaelic Leaguer— he ought to 



know best — ask a Gaelic Leaguer what 
is the secret of it all? What has 
brought about those movements and 
generated those forces within the 
Gaelic League? He will answer you at 
once that the language revival is at 
the bottom of it all; that without the 
language as root and foundation, in- 
dustries and all the rest will come top- 
pling down like a house of cards. 



Irish Workhouses* 

A STRANGE scandal is brought in- 
to prominence by Mr. Wynd- 
ham's announcement that a 
commission is to be appointed to in- 
quire into the proposal in favor of 
amalgamating the Poor Law Unions 
In Ireland with a view to economical 
management of workhouses. 

Ireland was presented with work- 
houses in 1840. The institutions were 
detested from the outset, and they are 
more hated than ever now, because 
while the population has been steadily 
decreasing the cost of the workhouses 
has been advancing. 

An examination of the latest official 
figures leads to truly astonishing re- 
sults. There are 159 • workhouses In 
Ireland for the accommodation of 40,- 
500 paupers of all ages daily in the 
average. As many as one-fourth of 
these, all of them great roomy build- 
ings, are occupied by from 40 to 100 
inmates only. Only 24 workhouses 
have an average population of over 300 
inmates. 

The province of Connacht, which 
though poorest, has the least pauper- 
ism, has 28 workhouses for 3,724 in- 
mates; the County Mayo has eight 
workhouses for 874 paupers. 

It is when the cost of management 
is taken into consideration that the 
terrible scandal of this system that has 
been forced on Ireland is best realized. 
The salaries and rations of the work- 
house officials actually cost on the 
average £4 10s. per pauper in the year. 

In the smaller workhouses the cost 
of the officers in some cases is simply 
astounding. For instance, in the 
Donegal workhouse it costs £14 a year 
to keep each pauper in order, while 
the food and clothing of each pauper 
costs less than £12. Every pauper in- 
mate of an Irish workhouse costs just 
about £20 per annum, of wluch £11 
goes for food and clothes. 

How many poor Connacht peasants 
can afford this sum for each member 
of the family? But the most amazing 
thing of all is the position of the work- 
house schools. According to the last 
return of the National Education 
Board, there were 150 workhouse 
schools in connection with that body. 
In thirty of these schools the number 
of children varied from two to nine, 
54 schools had less than 20 children in 
average attendance. Of teachers there 
was a most lavish supply. The schools 
under lay management, 125 in num- 
ber, had 218 qualified teachers, paid by 
the state for the instruction of a few 
children. Many Irish prisons have been 
closed, and the time has come for many 
of the costly and superfiuous work- 
houses to follow them. 



»96 



THE GAEI^ 



June, 190Z. 




THE fourth part of "Ceol Sidhe." 
being No. X3 of the Leighean 
Birean series of penny booklets, 
edited by Miss Norma Borthwlck, has 
been published by the Irish Book Co., 
35 Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin. Six- 
teen favorite Irish songs are included 
in this collection. 



^rniK "Claldheamh Soluls" in Its en- 
I larged form and under Its new 
* editor, Mr. Pearse, continues to 
present Its readers with a bright and 
interesting assortment of articles and 
notes on current afEairs, both In Irish 
and English. Most of the best writers 
of Irish Ireland are to be found among 
Its contributors, and its pages are sel- 
dom dull. 



^ I 'HE Very Rev. Dr. Charles P. 

I Grannan of the Catholic Unl- 
verity at Washington, has been 
appointed a member of the Interna- 
tional Biblical Commission created by 
the Pope to conduct extensive re- 
searches In order that the Catholic 
Church might possess the best trans- 
lation of the Bible. 

The Commission has been increased 
from the original twelve to forty mem- 
bers, and work has been begun through 
correspondence. A session of all mem- 
bers is expected to take place at Rome 
in the Autumn. 



THE second part of Mr. F. Elring- 
ton Ball's "History of the 
County Dublin," has been pub- 
lished by Messrs. Thom & Co., Dublin. 
It deals with that portion of the county 
comprised in the parishes of Donny- 
brook, Booterstown, St Bartholomew, 
St. Mark, Taney, St Peter, and Rath- 
farnham; and treats of the Fltz Will- 
iams of Merrlon, now represented by 
the Earl of Pembroke, and of the 
Loftuses of Rathfamham at consider- 
able length. The fact that it contains 
numerous illustrations greatly en- 
hances the value and interest of the 
▼olum.e. 



BEFORE the national Literary So- 
ciety, Dublin, in the large hall, 
6 St Stephen's Green, Mr. Sea- 
mus MacManus recently delivered a 
lecture on "St Patrick's Purgatory." 

In the Middle Ages St Patrick's Pur- 
gatory was a place of world interest, 
and it was visited by pilgrims and 



penitents from every part of Europe. 
It has influenced the literature of many 
countries, and from the historical, an- 
tiquarian and ecclesiastical points of 
view, is a place of unique and entranc- 
ing interest The chair was occupied 
by the President, Dr. George Sigerson, 
F. R. U. I. 



THE committee appointed by Mr. 
J. W. Whitbread, lessee of the 
Queen's Theatre, to adjudicate 
upon the dramas submitted in accord- 
ance with his offer of £100 for the best 
Irish melodrama dealing with the pe- 
riod of 1798, have made their award, 
giving the prize to "The Old Land," the 
successful author being Mr. Robert 
Johnston, 3 Nora Terrace, Botanic 
Road, Dublin. 

In pursuance of the conditions, the 
name of the author only became known 
when the winning play was decided 
upon, the sealed envelope containing 
the writer's name being then opened. 



SBUMAS M'MANUS, whose Donegal 
tales won him a reputation and 
who has recently brought out a 
novel, "A Lad of the O'Friels," is, so 
rumor has it, planning to join the 
Irish contingent of America. 

Mr. McManus is a fighting Irishman 
and a hot-headed patriot, and upon all 
matters pertaining to Ireland's rights 
he is most militant. 

As a consequence tne government 
authorities in Donegal call him a trou- 
blesome character and devote so much 
of their attention to him that he is res- 
-tive under the restraint and surveil- 
lance, and thinks of trying a home in 
a freer land. — New York Sun. 



FIONA MAC LEOD, in an article in 
the "Fortnightly Review," pays 
a remarkable tribute to the 
poetic genius of the late Ethna Car- 
bery as displayed in her posthumous 
volume of verse, "The Four Winds of 
Eirinn." 

This is what the Highland lady of 
mystery has to say In comparing the 
dead Ulster poetess with other Irish 
writers: "In essential poetic faculty 
she stands high among the Irish poets 
of to-day. In this respect. Indeed, she 
falls behind none except Mr. Teats 
and *A. E.,' and as an Irish writer, for 
an Irish public, I doubt if any of those 
)uet named has more Intimately reach- 



ed the heart of the people." And she 
adds: "Ethna Carbery is Irish In a 
sense In which the other poets of her 
hour and nation annot laim to be. . 
. . . With Ethna Carbery, Ireland 
is always the Motherland, and she the 
child that will not be put away from 
ner." 

From this criticism it will be seen 
that Fiona MacLeod has rightly ap- 
preciated the note that rings so truly 
in the lyrics of Ethna Carbery, and 
which Is almost wanUng, or vaguely 
expressed, in the works of those poets 
of the mystic school she alludes to. It 
is the note of devoted patriotism and 
aspiration for national freedom, and 
because of It the lamented writer has 
found a place in the hearts of the peo- 
ple of her race. 



44^' 



THROUGH the Ivory Gate," is 
the title of a little volume of 
poems from the pen of Mr. 
Thomas McDonough, a Kilkenny man, 
dedicated to Mr. W. B. Yeats. The 
work is divided into two parts. 

The first, to quote the author's 
words, represents "the struggle of soul 
from the innocence of childhood 
through disillusion, disappointment, 
and ill to doubt; and thence through 
prayer and hope and the pathos of old 
memories to lasting Trust and Faith": 
and the second part entitled ''Roisln," 
consists of poems on various subjects 
mostly Irish. 

It is published by Messrs. Sealy, 
Bryer & Walker, In a charmingly dec- 
orated little book, and Is printed 
throughout on paper of Irish manu- 
facture. 



A GIFTED Irish-bom authorew, 
Mrs. Mary A. Sadlier, who re- 
sided in Montreal, passed away 
in the early part of last month. The 
deceased lady; who was a daughter of 
Francis Madden, of Cootehlil, County 
Cavan, was born on December Slat, 
1820. 

She left Ireland for the United States 
In 1844, and two years later married 
James Sadlier, of the firm of D. & J. 
Sadlier, publishers, of New. York, Bos- 
ton and Montreal. She spent the great- 
er part of her life In New York, but 
she lived altogether In Montreal during 
the last fifteen or twenty years. 

The deceased lady commenced to 
write early, and tiie excellent books 



June, 1903* 



she produced have been read, of course, 
with as much interest in her native 
land as in the land of her adoption. 
The following were, perhaps, the most 
widely known: "Confederate Chief- 
tains." "Willy Burke," **The Blakes 
and Flanagans," "Con O'Regan," "Ele- 
anor Preston," and "Aunt Honor's 
Keepsake." 

Among her latest productions was an 
edition of the Poems of Thomas D'Arcy 
McGee, with an introduction and bio- 
graphical sketch. 



WE are in receipt of a little booklet 
published at the office of the 
"Star and People," Tralee, Co. 
Kerry, containing a number of patri- 
otic songs in Irish. Most of the songs 
are National, such as O'Donnell Abu, 
The Rising of the Moon, The Wearing 
of the Green, etc., but there are a few 
local to the county in which they are 
published. 

The publisher says: "Kerry is full of 
songs and stories. In Iveragh alone 
there are hundreds of both, and if this 
little collection is favorably received 
many more will be Issued until all or 
nearly all of the songs of Kerry are In 
print" 

The price ife only one penny, or five 
cents in the United States. THE GAEL 
has ordered one hundred copies which 
we will supply to all who desire them 
as long as they last 

McCLURB, PHILLIPS & CO. an- 
nounce Seumas MacManus' lat- 
est book, "A Lad of the 
O'Frlels," also "The Squireen," by 
Shan Bullock, and "Darby O'Gill and 
the Good People," by Hermine Temple- 
ton. 

"A Lad of the O'Friels" appeared 
serially in the Dublin "Weekly Free- 
man" and is now issued in book form 
for the first time. 

Dlnny O'Frlel, the "Lad," spent most 
of his time curled up in the corner of 
the shoemaker's shop which was the 
neighborhood club in Knockagar, hear- 
ing and learning many things. 

From the boy's point of view we have 
a chronicle of an Irish village. His 
neighbors are admirably drawn types 
of deviltry or sensibility; he himself 
Is happily compounded of both, equal- 
ly at home in the shoemaker's comer, 
rambling over the hills, lighting the 
fires on Bonfire night, buying ribbons 
at the harvest fair, or going on a pious 
pilgrimage to Lough Derg. 

Notwithstanding a few broken heads 
the prevailing air Is one of Irish kind- 
liness and nelghborllness lending cheer 
and point to the story. The charm of 
the Irish dialect falls persuasively on 
the ear. 

The humor is thoroughly Irish, but 
not all local; the good-bye note of the 
"Vagabone" departing for America Is 
one of the cleverest things In the book. 
Indeed, we think that those who are 
Indifferent or hostile to Irish stories 
in general, considering them fatlgueing 
by reason of unpronounceable brogue, 
may yet find in this humorous idyl an 
hour of relaxation, if not of refresh- 
ment 



THE GAEL. 

^. IRELAND and Her Story," by Jus- 
♦♦I tin McCarthy, wlU be the thir- 
teenth volume in the series, 
"Story of the Empire," published by 
Horace Marshall & Son, London. 

A VOLUME of critical studies of 
various periods of Irish history 
is being prepared for publication 
by the Irish Literary Society, London. 
These papers will Include the essay on 
"Cromwell In Ireland," which Sir Will- 
iam Butler read to the society not long 
ago. 



J P. PUTNAM'S SONS have In ac- 
^ tlve preparation an important 
volume entitled "Ireland Under 
EIngllsh Rule," by Dr. Thomas Addis 
Emmet. It will be published before the 
centennial of Robert Emmet's execu- 
tion. In some ways this work Is ex- 
pected to give an Interesting and per- 
sonal touch to the debates which have 
begun in the British Parliament on the 
Irish Jjand bill. 

Dr. Emmet writes with considerable 
freedom and draws an indictment 
against that unique political organiza- 
tion known as the British Government; 
a system, in his opinion, well fitted for 
the oppression of the whole human 
race, with the exception of the Bng- 
lisih people themselves. A full state- 
ment of England's policy In Ireland 
will be given. 

He says that he feels deeply and 
strongly concerning the means which 
were employed to bring about the con- 
viction of his uncle, Robert Emmet. 
At the same time and beyond all per- 
sonal feeling he trusts that he will be 
found to have given "English Rule" 
its due. 

His work does not end with the Irli^ 
rebellion of 1798, but the narrative is 
brought down to the present day, and 
will probably Include a discussion of 
the present Land bill and an estimate 
of its benefits or shortcomings as ulti- 
mately passed. 

THE first number of this new penny 
monthly of Seumas MacManus' 
has Just appeared. It is well 
printed on good paper, and well illus- 
trated, and it presents an attractive ap- 
pearance. 

It contains two humorous stories — 
"Barney Brian's Monument" and 
"Father Dan and Fiddlers Four." Bar- 
ney Brian is a character, and the 
monument to this hero was worthy of 
the man, "a monument," In the words 
of the book, "walking about on four 
legs, and giving milk, and thieving in 
Martha Miller's kail garden." 

There have been wonderful adven- 
tures, but perhaps few more wonderful 
than Barney's In the Amerlky war. If, 
however, Barney's adventures could be 
equalled, perhaps they were equalled 
by poor Father Dan's adventure with 
his "Fiddlers Four." 

The scene which occurs when the 
unexpected bishop, seating himself op- 
posite the affrighted Father Dan, by 
Father Dan's own parlor fire, begins 
chatting away unconcernedly, and un- 
conscious of the four fiddlers, whom 



197 

Father Dan has concealed beneath the 
table, must be read to be properly ap- 
preciated. 

For the June number of Irish 
Nights" we are promised "Billy Bax- 
ter's Holiday" and "The Sorrow of 
PheUm Ruadh." 



AN interesting reprint is "Two 
Biographies of William Bedell," 
eolted, with Notes and Index, 
by Evelyn Shuckburgh, M. A. The 
first life is by the Bishop's son; the 
second is the work of Alexander 
Clagie, an Anglican clei^nrman, who 
married the Bishop's stepdaughter, and 
was his chaplain from his appointment 
to the Sees of Kllmore and Ardagh In 
1629 (Ardagh he resigned within a very 
short time) till his death In 1641. 

This biography, of which there are 
two manuscripts differing from each 
other In some Important particulars, 
was not printed till 1862. Mr. Shuck- 
burgh has added a number of letters, 
written by Bedell to various corre- 
spondents. 

The greater part of these— there are 
sixty-three in all, including some re- 
plies—are addressed to Dr. Samuel 
Ward, Master of Sidney Sussex Col- 
lege, 1609-43. These touch on a va- 
riety of matters, personal and contro- 
versial. And there Is a correspondence 
with Laud, whose aid Bishop Bedell 
vainly Invoked In a controversy that 
he had with the Chancellor of his 
diocese. 

Anything more scandalous than the 
condition of the Church In Ireland, as 
It comes out in these letters. It would 
be difficult to Imagine. Bedel himself 
was an honorable exception to a gen- 
erally prevailing laxity. 



St Githa^s Basil ca inTaranto* 

^nr^HE remarkable discovery Just an- 
I nounced by a Roman correspen- 
dent, that a crypt had been un- 
earthed In the Cathedral of Taranto 
recently which, on examination had 
turned out to be none other than the 
ancient basilica constructed by our 
Irish saint, Cathal (Cataldus), must be 
gratifying to all lovers of Ireland's 
early saints. 

St Cathal was fourth Bishop of L\s- 
more, County Waterford, a native of 
Canty, near Cappoquln, where he was 
born In 635, his parents being Eochy 
and Ethnea, of a good Deslan family. 
Being a brilliant student in the Uni- 
versity of Llsmore he was given charge 
of the district of Sliah Cua (Sliavegue, 
near Dungarvan), of which he was 
named Ard Easpoc, or Chief Bishop, 
and built two churches near I<lsmore. 
dedicated to the Blessed Virgiu— in 
which connection It Is remarkable that. 
In the recent discovery at Taranto, one 
of the figures on the triptych reprejenta 
the Mother of God. 

Fired with the Celtic passion for 
travel^ about the year 660 he Journeyed 
to Palestine, visited all the holy places, 
and then labored for a time In Rhoetla 
(the present canton of the Orisons, in 
Switzerland, the capital of which was 
Colre, or Queral), also at Geneva, and 
finally settled at/Tiranta T 



Digitized by 






)98 



THE GAEL. 



June, 1903. 



The Gael 

.(-AH 5AOt)At.) 



Entered at New York Post OfRce as Second-class Matter. 

Postage fret to any point in the United States^ 

Mexico or Canada. 

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 

THE GAEL PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
liO Nassau Street, New York. 

/ViV^.— Subscription f LííO per year. Single copies 
lU cents. Subscriptions from Ireland, England and 
Scotland, 5 shillings per year. 

Remittance must accompany each Subscription and 
may be sent by Checlc. Registered Letter, or Money- 
Order. Stamps or currency may be sent, but at the 
sender's risk. 

Subscriptions commence with the current issue. 
Change of Adaress should, In all cases, be accom- 
panied by the old address as well as the new. 

The date of expiration of each Subscription Is 
printed on the address label on the wrapper each 
month. To ensure a continuance of the Magazine 
subscriptions should be promptly renewed. 

^0ir Persons desiring the return of their manuscripts, 
if not accepted, should send a stamped and directed 
envelope. We cannot, however, hold ourselves 
responsible for the safe return of uninvited MSS. 
Authors should preserve a copy. 

ADVERTISING RATES UPDN APPLICATION. 

THROUGH the courtesy of Mr. 
Francis Joseph Biggar, M. R. I. 
A., we are in receipt of a copy 
of the handsome souvenir catalogue 
issued by the Committee in charge of 
the Irish Harp Festival and Exhibi- 
tion that was held at Belfast on May 
8th to 16th. 

The educational value of the Exhi- 
bition was much enhanced by this 
very excellent catalogue, which con- 
tains brief biographies of all the fam- 
ous Irish harpers as well as numerous 
'descriptive and historic notes compiled 
by Mr. Shannon Millan. 

The cover of the tasteful publication 
was designed by Mr. John Vinycomb, 
M. R. I. A., and is in true Celtic style, 
with the ancient arms of Ireland in the 
centre. Large initial letters orna- 
mented with Celtic interlacery are 
used in the title. 

The Festival was opened at the 
Linen Hall Library but the attendance 
from the start was so great that hun- 
dreds were turned away for want of 
room, therefore it was moved to the 
hall of the Young Men's Christian 
Association where all could be accom- 
modated. 

The circumstances of a thoroughly 
Irish concert being held in such a 
building is significant in itself, and em- 
phasizes the fact overlooked by many, 
that the Irish Revival embraces all of 
Irish birth, be their creed or politics 
what they may, and is not confined 
to any particular section of our 
people. 

Undoubtedly many persons would 
attend an Irish concert in the Y. M. 
C. A. Hall who would be loth to pa- 
tronize such a function were it held in 
other places, and if the movement is 
to be universal it must, therefore, not 
be confined to one district or to the 
halls of one denomination. It is not 
very likely that the gentle music of 



the harp will altogether still the beat- 
ing of the factionist drum; but it 
may somewhat subdue the discordant 
note. 



John Quinn, 120 Broadway, to whom 
all applications for membership, etc., 
should be addressed. 



DUBLIN celebrated the^ centenary 
of the birth of James Clarence 
Mangan, and the event was suit- 
ably commemorated by a gathering at 
the Round Room of the Rotunda under 
the auspices of the Cuman-na-nGaed- 
hah 

There was a large attendance, and 
a suitable programme waa submitted 
selected from Mangan's works. Mr. 
W. H. Grattan Flood read a letter 
from the Rev. Dr. Sheehan, of Done- 
raile, and delivered an address appre- 
ciative of Mangan's writings and merit 
as a poet. 

A movement is on foot to provide 
some permanent memorial of Mangan 
in his native city. Mr. D. J. O'Dono- 
ghue has interested himself in the 
matter, and states that he has dis- 
covered the cast of Mangan's feature» 
taken after death, so that should the 
memorial take sculptured form, there 
is authentic delineation of feature ac* 
cessibie. 



MR. T. M. HEALY, M. P., who, it 
is reported, will shortly be 
called to the English Bar, is 
following tlie example of his near 
relative, the late Mr. A. "M. Sullivan, 
who, while an Irish Nationalist mem- 
ber, also qualified himself to practice 
in the English Courts. 

Mr. Sullivan, who was one of the 
members for the undivided County of 
Louth, the Northern Division of which 
has been represented by Mr. Healy for 
many years, was generally regarded 
as the most eloquent Irishman of his 
time. He was giving every promise of 
attaining a leading position in the En- 
glish Courts, when he passed away in 
the prime of life. 



ON Saturday evening, May 30th, 
Mr. Charles Johnston, the re- 
cently-elected President of the 
Irish Literary Society of New York, 
delivered a Jecture at Carnegie Ly- 
ceum on "The Recent Irish Literary 
Revival." 

Mr. Johnston is a graduate of Trin- 
ity College, an Intimate friend of Dr. 
Douglas Hyde, President of the Dub- 
lin Gaelic League, W. B. Yeats, George 
Russell (A. E.), Dr. Sigerson, Mr. John 
O'Leary and others prominent in the 
Irish literary revival, and participated 
in the formation of the Irish Literary 
Society of London some ten years ago. 
He recently delivered a most success- 
ful lecture on Irish literature before 
the John Boyle O'Reilly Reading Circle 
of Boston. 

The lecture at Carnegie Hall was 
given under the auspices of the newly- 
formed Irish Literary Society of New 
York and attracted widespread atten- 
tion. The hall was filled to the doors 
with an enthusiastic and appreciative 
audience. 

The Secretary of the Society is Mr. 



THE Ulster Journal of Archseology 
edited by Francis Joseph Big:- 
gar, M. R. I. A., and publiahed 
quarterly at Belfast, is from historical, 
literary and antiquarian points of view 
one of the best and most useful pub- 
lications issued in Ireland. We cannot 
commend it too highly. Any educated 
Irishman at home or abroad interested 
in the history of his country who can 
afford to take this valuable publica- 
tion and neglects to do so misses a 
great treat 

The subscription price is only |1.50 
per year. Address McCaw, Stevenson & 
Orr, Publishers, Belfast 



WE take pleasure in announcing 
the formation in this city of 
two much-needed Irish socie- 
ties from which good work may be 
looked for in the near future. 

One is the "Irish Literary Society of 
New York,'* modeled after the Na- 
tional Literary Society of Dublin 
and the Irish Literary Society in Lon- 
don. 

The other is "The Irish Agricultural 
League of America," which starts out 
with the avowed intention of encour- 
aging the sale of Irish-made goods of 
every description in this country and 
incidentally assisting the Irish Indus- 
tries Association and the Irish Or- 
ganization Society, of which Mr. Hor- 
ace Plunket is the active representa- 
tive. 



THE Irish Department of Agricul- 
ture has decided to organize a 
special exhibit of Irish indus- 
tries for the St Louis Exposition. The 
Secretary for Ireland, Mr. Wyndham, 
in making this announcement in the 
House of Commons, said that the De- 
partment had been informed that if it 
undertook the organization of an Irish 
exhibit a special pavilion would be 
provided from American sources. 

The Department is now in corre- 
spondence on the subject with the 
Royal Commission, whose co-operation 
in the project had been secured. 



...SELECT... 

IRISH jyiTERTAjNiENTS 

ROBIN ELLIS, 

Dramatic 6xpre$$i0Ni$t 

— AJII>— 

Dialect Reader ia conjunction with flrst-claas vocal 
and instramental artists is prepared to supply 
excloslvely hlgrh-class Irish entertain ments as « 'on> 
certs, Musicales, Receptions, etc., etc. Robin Ellis 
is the onl7 public reader in the United States of the 
vernacalar " Bo^rland Stadles " of Miss Jane Barlow. 
Repertoire includes "The Battle of Fontenroy," 
"Shemns O'Brien," "Robert Emmet's Speech'* 
and other standard Irish selections. Address tat 
particulars, open dates and terms, to 

ROBIN BLLiS, S B. 14 tb St , New York 



TCLC PHONE 6466. IdTH STREET 

Digiti: 



ELEPn«,9na e^oot loin «Tnai 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



June, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 

The Jokers* Corner* 




"A little nonsense now and then 
Is relished by the wisest men." 



44 



A PERSONAL REFi^hCTION. 

1SEE the villain in your face," 
said a western judge to an Irish 
prisoner. 

"May it plaze yer worship," replied 
Pat, "that must be .a personal reflec- 
tion, sure." • 



44 



IN NO HURRY. 

SAY," remarked the impatient 
passenger on the old jaunting- 
car, "don't you ever go any 
faster than this?" 

"Don't get gay," snapped the jarvey, 
••if it don't suit you, get off and walk." 
"Oh! I'm not in such a hurry as all 
that," replied the passenger, sarcastic- 
ally, "I don't want to get there ahead 
of the car." 



NO THERMOMETERS THERE. 

A DOCTOR was attending a danger- 
ous case where a Scotch butler 
was engaged. On calling in the 
forenoon he said to Donald: "I hope 
your master's temperature is much 
lower to-day than it was last night." 

"I'm no sae very sure aboot that," 
replied the butler, "for he dee'd this 
morning." 



SUPPOSING. 

CONSTABLE— What, sir; dae ye 
suggest that I would tak' a 
bribe? Dare ye dare to insult 
me. sir? 
The Erring One — Oh, excuse me; I 

really 

Constable — Bit, now, supposin' I was 
that kind o' a man, hoo much wid ye 
be inclined to gie? 



CURRAN S PLAYFULNESS. 

ONE day Curran had a violent ar- 
gument with a country school- 
master on some classical sub- 
ject. The pedagogue, who had the 
worst of it, said in a towering passion, 
that he would lose no more time, but 
must go back to his scholars. "Do, 
my dear doctor," said Curran, "but 
don't indorse my sins upon their 
backs." 



EXAMPLES OP MACKLIN^S WIT AND 
HUMOR. 

MACKLIN was exceedingly quick 
at a reply, especially in a dis- 
pute. One day Dr. Johnson was 
contending some dramatical question, 
and quoted a passage from a Greek 
poet in support of his opinion. 

"I don't understand Greek, though, 
doctor," said Macklin. 

"Sir," said Johnson, pompously, "a 
man who undertakes to argue should 
understand all languages." 

"Oh, very well," returned Macklin; 
"how will you answer this argument?" 
and immediately treated him to a long 
quotation in Irish. 



STUDIED ECONOMY. 

A BEGGAR was coming out -of a 
house when another beggar met 
him at the garden gate, and ask- 
ed what chance there was of getting 
anything. "It's not worth while 
knocking," was the reply. "The peo- 
ple are not up to much. They're poor. 
I have just had a peep through the 
window, and saw two ladies playing 
on one piano." 



199 



A LADY waited four hours at a way- 
side station of the Midland 
Great Western Railway. The 
train came along and she got in. The 
hours dragged by, and at each stop- 
page she asked if it was Sligo. Finally 
the guard became irritated. "Don't 
worry, madam; I'll let you know when 
we reach Sligo." "But I've been near- 
ly all day ori this journey." "Well, 
madam, I've been on this railway three 
years, and l!m not worrying." "Poor 
man!" she retorted, "you must have 
started the next fetation beyond mine." 



RURAL SPORT. 

^^T TES." remarked the native of 
** Y Stradbally, "our parson 
claims that these racing auto- 
mobiles are keeping some of his flock 
away from meeting." 

"You don't mean to say anyone owns 
a racing automobile around here?" 
asked the visitor in surprise. 

"No, they don't own them, but they 
sit by the side of the road all day Sun- 
day and throw stones at those that 
pafifi." 



MADE IN BELFAST. 

A CLERGYMAN in the neighbor- 
hood of Enniskillen was com- 
plimenting a tailor in his parish 
on repairs which he had done for him. 
In the course of conversation he, how- 
ever, incautiously observed: "When 
I want a good coat, I go to Belfast. 
They make them there." Before leav- 
ing the shop he inquired: "By the bye^ 
do you attend my church?" 

"No," was the reply. "When I want 
to hear a good sermon I go to Belfast. 
They make them there." 



NO ROOM FOR COMPLAINT 

A LIMERICK man was traveling in 
a train accompanied by a friend 
when two very stout ladies en- 
tered their compartment. They placed 
themselves on each side of Denis, and 
he got much crushed between them. 
The friend, on seeing him so placed, 
said: "Denis, are you sure you are 
content, are you comfortable?" To 
which Denis quickly replied, "Sure It's 
plain to be seen I haven't much room 
to grumble." 



PAT SCORES. 

AN Englishman, a Scotsman, and 
an Irishman were discussing the 
question of nationality. "If I 
hadn't been an Englishman," said the 
first, "I would like to have been a 
Scotsman." 

"And I," said the Scot, wishing to 
return the compliment, "would like to 
have been born in England." 

"Well, well," said Pat, "if I hadn't 
been born an Irishman, 1 would be 
ashamed to have been born at all." 



IRISH vs. AMERICAN WIT 

WHEN the Lord Chief Justice of 
England (Lord Russell of Klll- 
owen) visited the United States 
he was known to the legal world as 
Sir Charles Russell, the acknowledged 
leader of the English Bar. 

Walking with a friend one day they 
came to a lake about a half mile across 
over which Sir Charles was assured by 
his companion the great George Wash- 
ington once threw a silver dollar. 

"But," added the American slyly, "a 
dollar went further in those days Uian 
it would now." 

The ever-ready wit of the gifted 
Irishman was at once brought into 
play. "Tut, tut," instantly replied Sir 
Charles. "Your illustrious country- 
man accomplished a much greater feat 
than that: he threw an English sov- 
ereign (George III.) across the At- 
lantic." 



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TWENTY-SECOND YEAR 
OF PUBLICATION. 




THE BATTLE OF 

THE 

CURLEW MOUNTAINS. 

By Standlsh (yCtzdy. 





CHAPTER I. 

0LU70BD INVADES SLIGO. 

I N treating of the fall of 
Queen Elizabeth's favor- 
ite. Robert. Earl of Es- 
sex, historians have not ait all 
sufficiently recognized his very 
bad record as Chief Governor 
of Ireland. 

They say he did nothing, 

but in fact he did a great deal 

less, for he was beaten by 

the insurgent lords at 

many iK)lnts. 

As he marched through 

the Queen's County young O'More, lord 
of that region, routed his rear guard 
and plundered his baggage in the Pass 
of Plumes. At Askeaton, Co. Lim- 
erick, he was beaten by the Geraldines 
and driven back out of West Munster. 
The sons of Feagh MacHugh defeated 
his cavalry in one battle and his in- 
fantry in another. Finally, his Ueu- 
tenant, Sir Conyers Clifford, President 
of Connacht, was first beaten by Red 
Hugh at Ballyshannon and afterwards 
beaten disastrously in the Curlew 
Mountains. 

With such an Irish record it is not 
surprising that on his return to Lon- 
don his reception should have been so 
cold. I propose here to give a sketch 
of this latter battle, partly to enable 



the reaaer to fornf some idea of the 
curiously embroiled and intertangled 
relations of the chieftainry with oach 
other and with the State, and partly 
with the purpose of illustrating the 
war-methods of the sixteenth century 
as practiced in Ireland. 

When the "Nine Years' War" broke 
out Sir Richard Bingham was master 
of all Connacht. Presently he came in- 
to collision with Red Hugh, and Red 
Hugh beat him. Red Hugh wfus only a 
boy, yet he beat the veteran and shook 
most of Connacht loose from his con- 
trol. 

When E«ssex came into Ireland. Bing- 
ham was hopelessly beaten and could 
hardly venture to show himself outside 
the gates of Athlone. The Burkes of 
Clanricarde and the O'Briens of Tho- 
mond, two zealous royalist clans, alone 
kept the Queen's flag flying in the 
open, and Red Hugh was destroying 
them. Then the Queen recalled Bing- 
ham in disgrace. He was brought to 
London as a State prisoner pursued by 
an inflnity of complaints urged against 
him by chieftains of the West, and Sir 
Conyers Clifford appointed President 
of Connacht simultaneously with the 
appointment of the ESarl of Essex as 
Lord Lieutenant of the realm. 

Clifford seems to have been a man 
of signal nobility of character. "The 
Four Masters" declare that "there did 
not come of English blood into Ireland 



in the latter times a more worthy per- 
son." His reputation preceded him, 
and on his arrival a considerable pro- 
portion of the western lords who had 
been previously in rebellion and allies 
of Red Hugh waited upon him and ten- 
dered him their allegiance. 

So without striking a blow Clifford 
recovered immediately the greater por- 
tion of the province. Then at the head 
of a considerable army he marched 
northwards for the invasion of Tyr- 
connel but did not succeed. Red Hugh 
beat him at Ballyshannon. drove him 
back and resumed his operations in 
Connacht 

The County of Sligo was one of the 
divisions of Connacht in which the 
change produced by the coming of 
Clifford was not felt. It was still 
strongly held by Red Hugh's lieuten- 
ants. In 1598 Clifford flung into that 
county a young Royalist chieftain and 
a body of horse with the object of ex- 
citing there a rebellion of Red Hugh's 
feudatories. A cavalry battle ensued 
in which the Royalists were over- 
thrown by Red Hugh's horse, and the 
leader of this forlorn hope, in fact the 
O'Oonor Sligo, was driven within the 
fortress of Collooney and there besieg- 
ed by Red Hugh. 

Partly to relieve him. partly to de- 
liver another great stroke at Red 
Hugh. Clifford mustered his forces at 
Athlone.. . When all was in readiness 
Digitizeo 



202 



THE GAEU 



July, 1903. 



Clifford rose thence and marched to 
Boyle, a strong town in the north of 
Roscommon, close to the frontiers of 
Sligo. 

Between Roscommon and Sllgo Ifiy 
the Curlew Mountains, on jthe north 
side of which all the country was held 
by Red Hugh, except Collooney, which 
he was blockading, Clifford's force 
numbered 2,500 infantry and 300 horse. 
It consisted of Connacht-Irish, Meath- 
Irish and regulars. The regulars were, 
for the most part Irish too, but officer- 
ed to some extent by English gentle- 
men. The Connacht and Meath con- 
tingents represented the military quo- 
tas which those provinces were bound 
to furnish Iqt war. 

On demand under certain conditions, 
all the nobles and landowners were 
bound to "rise out,'' as the phrase ran, 
at the head of a fixed body of foot and 
horse well equipped and serve at their 
own expense for forty days. To our 
notions Clifford's army on this occa- 
sion was absurdly small. But in the 
sixteenth century such a force was not 
small, but, on the contrary, a great 
host. 

The State was seldom able to put in- 
to the field for active service an army 
of more than 4,000 men nor the insur- 
gent chiefs one of grea;ter dimensions. 
When at Kinsale the contending pow- 
ers severally brought all their forces 
to a head, out of the whole of Ireland 
there were but some six or seven thou- 
sand effective men on each side. 

At the head of this force Clifford, on 
the 13th of August, marched through 
the gates of Boyle in the midst of mild 
weather and heavy pouring rain. The 
army had come that day from the town 
of Roscommon and entered Boyle wet 
and weary and thinking only of sup- 
per, rest and sleep. Clifford took up 
his quarters in the monastery there, 
the rest of his army was billeted 
tliroughout tlie town. 

Monastery and town must have been 
of considerable capacity, for I find a 
Httle later a garrison of 1,500 men 
posted here. Clifford's army, I say, 
expected to sleep comfortably in Boyle 
that night, but they did not Shortly 
after their arrival the army was on 
march again, moving silently through 
darkness and rain towards the Curlew 
Mountains. Why we «hall see pre- 
sently. 



CHAPTER II. 

IfZAL OABF VOinVTS 6UABD OVBR QOfL" 
IX)ONlSY. 

When Red Hugh heard of this in- 
vasion he lay, with cavalry only, 
blockading the castle of Collooney. 
Within that castle was the O'Conor 
SHgo. Hugh was very anxious to lay 
his hands upon O'Conor Sligo who had, 
for a long time, given 'him a great deal 
of trouble. Hearing the tidings, Hugh 
wrote to Tyrone to come and help; 
Tyrone came by forced marches, but 
was unable to help. He came too late. 

Hugh also sent the usual war-sum- 
mons to all his feudatories and cap- 
tains, and all these being near came to 
him at once. These were O'Dogherty, 
the three M'S weenies, O'Boyle, 
O'Byrne, M'Clancy, O'Gallagher and 



others. His army when assembled con- 
sisted of about 2,500 men, horse and 
foot. \ve see here a proof of Red 
Hugh's military power. On the sud- 
den he was able to draw together a 
force as great as that of the Queen's 
President of all Connacht. Nor was it 
in any respect less efficient. Hugh now 
rose from Collooney, but left behind 
him 200 horse to continue the block- 
ade. 

To the command of this force, he ap- 
pointed his cousin, Nial Qarf, i. e., Nial 
the Rough. I notice him here particu- 
larly, for it was this rough cousin 
whose defection a little afterwards 
broke Red Hugh's brilliant career. 
Nial Garf rebelled against Red Hugh, 
became the "Queen's" O'Donnell, and 
led a great Queen's party in the north- 
west. He was a violent, headstrong, 
Implacable young man, and most furi- 
ous both in speech and demeanor. 

As Hugh Roe with the bulk of his 
army marches southwards from Col- 
looney, imagine Nial Garf with his 200 
horsemen moving round that fortress 
through the trees and Niai s fierce and 
strident voice uplifted at times ringing 
out words of menace and command. 
That young man, afterwards the 
Queen's O'Donnell, was certainly the 
roughest, ruggedest, and most bull- 
headed and bull-hearted creature to be 
found anywhere at this time. On the 
march Red Hugh detached á second 
force. This went to the town and har- 
bor of Sligo. Why I shall now explain. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE J.AND BURKE AND THE SEA BURKS. 

The large army with which Clifford 
marched to Boyle represented only one 
wing of his invasion. He was, in fact, 
invading Red Hugh's country by sea 
as well as by land. Amongst Clifford's 
Connacht allies was one noteworthy 
figure, Theabod Burke, son of Granu- 
aile and of her second husband, Rick- 
ard-in-Iron, lord of all Mayo. Granu- 
aile, I think, was still alive. A short 
time before this she had written to her 
friend. Queen Elizabeth, informing her 
that she had now quite done with war 
and was engaged "in farming." 

I must mention, however, that at the 
same time Bingham also wrote to the 
Queen complaining that Granuaile, in 
spite of her great age, was the root of 
all the hurley-burleys and disturbances 
of the West of Ireland. "Even in our 
ashes live our wonted fires." 

This Theabod was commonly called 
"Theabod of the Ships," and said to 
have been born by Granuaile on the 
high seas while she was returning to 
Ireland from her famous visit to Queen 
Elizabeth. Both these termagants en- 
tertained for each other a kindly feel- 
ing. They kept up a correspondence, 
and it was ever friendly. There is no 
truth in the tradition that Granuaile 
affected any sort of equality with the 
Queen, though possibly enough she did 
refuse a countess-ship at the hands of 
Elizabeth which would have been only 
a white elephant to her in Connacht. 

At this time "Theabod of the Ships" 
inherited his mother's authority over 
the brave seafaring nation of the 
O'Malleys. By law or by the strongas 



hand he was Admiral of Connacht, and 
had armed galleys and sailors enough 
to support his claims. He was also 
pretender to the Northern MacWill- 
lamship, that is to say, to the supreme 
government of the great county of 
Mayo. He put forward this pretension 
in right of his father. Ridkara-in^Iron, 
the late Mac William. 

In the beginning of the Nine Years* 
War Theabod had rebelled against 
Bingham and allied himself with Red 
Hugh, in fact all the MacWilllam 
Burkes of Mayo had rebelled on that 
occasion. Red Hugh marched into the 
county and held a great convention of 
all the Burkes with the purpose of ap- 
pointing a new MacWilllam. 

Now the claimant who had the best 
right according to Irish law happened 
to be very old, whereas Hugh required 
a stout, active soldier to act as his lieu- 
tenant in Mayo. He accordingly c^ose 
as fittest for his purpose a youth 
known as Theabod, son of Walter, and 
solemnly installed him as the new 
MacWilllam, passing over the claims 
of Theabod, son of Oranuaile, The lat- 
ter Theabod accordingly rebelled 
against Red Hugh and joined Clifford. 

I may here observe that from this 
"Theabod of the Ships," son of Granu- 
aile, sprang the Earls of Mayo, one of 
whom not long ago distinguished him- 
self so much as Governor-General of 
India. Theabod also made a private 
treaty with the O'Conor Sligo and mar- 
ried his sister. When Clifford deter- 
mined to invade Tir-Connall he re- 
solved to utilize the services of this 
welcome ally. He intended upon this 
expedition to rebuild the great castle 
of Sligo which commanded the roads 
from the north into Connacht and 
which Red Hugh had recently disman- 
tled. 

In obedience to Clifford's request 
Theabod brought all his ships to Gal- 
way and there loaded them with lime 
and timber, and building tools and ma- 
terials of all kinds, taking also on 
board a great number of masons. This 
done he sailed round Connacht, put in- 
to the harbor of Sligo, and there cast 
anchor, waiting till Clifford and the in- 
vading land force should arrive. He 
would then disembark all his masons 
and materials. 

Red Hugh accordingly as he march- 
ed south to the Curlews detached to 
Sligo that force of 400 men to keep a 
watch upon Theabod. Red Hugh pru- 
dently appointed to the command of 
this force a gentleman who was cer- 
tain to do his very best upon Theabod. 
This was Hugh's new MacWilliam, the 
other Theabod, Theabod son of Walter. 

The reader, while other develop- 
ments are coming, will keep in mind 
these two Burkes, the land Burke and 
the sea Burke glowering upon each 
other at Sligo, the sea Burke rocking 
idly on the blue waters of the bay, and 
the land Burke encamped about the 
ruins of the old castle observing the 
motions of his adversary, an adversary 
whom he regarded as a rebel against 
his just and legitimate authority, and 
whom if he could catch he would hang 
with the greatest pleasure. For the 
land Burke was the MacWilliam, and 
such lord of every Burke in the 



July J903. 



THE GAEL, 



203 











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REMAINS OP BOYLB ABBEY. (TO RIGHT OP PICTURE ] 



north af Gonnaclit, including the sea 
Burke. 

On the other hand, the sea Burke 
who had been also nominated Mac- 
William, regarded the land Burke with 
juet the same feelings. For the pres- 
ent, however, they can do nothing but 
scowl at each other and hurl oppro- 
brious expressions. It was like a war 
between a sword-fish and leopard. 



CHAPTER IV. 

RED BUCRH BLOCKS THE CURLEWS. 

Hugh Roe at the head of the rest of 
his army marched straight forward to 
the Curlews, going with his accustom- 
ed velocity and encamped on the 
northern slopes of the same. From 
Boyle two roads led through the moun- 
tains into Sligo. One of these was cir- 
cuitous, rugged and easily defended. It 
was unlikely that Clifford would try to 
force the Curlews by this road, never- 
theless Hugh blocked it with 300 
picked men, pikes and guns, no cav- 
alry. He himself leading the bulk of 
his forces, and a considerable body of 
churls bearing spades and axes ad- 
vanced from his camp along the direct 
road till he came to the blackened 
ruins of a castle which once command- 
ed a gorge on the southern slope of 
the mountains. 

This CAstle had been erected by 
Bingham both for the defence of the 
Pass and as a fetter on the war-like 
MacDermot clan who occupied this re- 



gion. Shortly after the breaking out 
of the war it had been stormed and 
burnt by the chief of this clan, Mac- 
Dermot of the Curlews, a -brave man, 
not at all so rude and wild as one 
might imagrine, as the reader will dis- 
cover later on. 

At this point Red Hugh determined 
to fight with Clifford, and to that end 
ordered the erection there of a barri- 
cade with double flanks. This was 
early on the morning of the 13th, and 
at the time when Clifford was march- 
ing out of Roscommon along the road 
to Boyle. The morning was bright and 
fine, but the atmosphere was suspi- 
ciously transparent. From the mouth 
of the gorge, through a «mall opening 
in -the trees, the walls, towers, and 
turrets of Boyle could be distinctly 
seen white and glistening in the sun- 
light. Red Hugh, who was on horse- 
back, and surrounded by his chiefs and 
principal officers, stood still for a 
while, and regarded it intently. 

This young man, now for many years 
the terror of all Royalists in the West, 
was only 26 years of age, and even 
looked younger than he was, so clear 
and fresh was his complexion, so vivid 
hifi countenance, so alert and rapid was 
he in all his movements. Yet he was 
no boy. but already a skilful com- 
mander in the field, and a strong and 
resolute administrator. Then he bade 
his men fall to, and the adjoining 
woods rang with the noise of axes, and 
presently sounded with the crash of 



tailing timber. Meantime the gorge 
was alive with spademen laboring dili- 
gently under the directions of the 
young chiefs engineers, and gradual- 
ly the barricade began to assume form. 

Once for all, let me warn the reader 
against the common and ignorant no- 
tion that the armies of the insurgent 
lords were rude crowds of what are 
vaguely known as kerne. They were 
armies in the proper sense of the 
word, armed, directed, and handled ac- 
cording to the best military methods 
in vogue at the time. 

Shortly after noon the sky became 
overcast, and at two o'clock the rain 
fell, and continued to fall. At four 
there was a sound of the firing of 
heavy ordnance from the direction of 
Boyle; it was the garrison of Boyle 
saluting the army of the President 
The fiashes were quite visible. Red 
Hugh believed that Clifford, after a 
short halt, would roll forward again, 
and force the passage of the Curlews. 
The probability also was that he would 
advance by the direct road. 

Should he prefer the more circuitous 
route, Hugh believed that the three 
hundred planted there would be able 
to retard his advance sufficiently to 
enable himself to transfer his army by 
the nearest cross country ways, and 
fight Clifford upon that road at a point 
which he had already settled in his 
mind. Clifford, in fact, was not aware 
that Red Hugh was in this neighbor- 
hood at all; for Hugh had come from 



204 



THE GAEL, 



July, 1903. 



Collooney with extraordinary celerity. 
Clifford imagined that he had only to 
deal with MacDermiot of the Curlews, 
Hugh's marcher-lord in this region. 

Behind the barricade Hugh's people 
stood under arms, the gunmen for- 
ward with matches already lit, behind 
them the battle, and on the wings 
kerne, i. e., light foot, armed only with 
swords and javelinfi. His few horse- 
men were posted under shelter of a 
wood on the right of the barricade. 
Presently the whole of Clifford's army 
reached Boyle, and instead of advanc- 
ing, as Red Hugh firmly expected, en- 
tered Boyle, presumably for a ehort 
rest and for refreshment Now, how- 
ever, hour succeeded hour, and there 
was no sign of the emergence of Clif- 
ford's people from Boyle. On the con- 
trary, as night fell, Hugh's scouts came 
in with intelligence that all the bugle 
notes heard in the town indicafted that 
the Royalist army would pass the 
night there. 

i^he rain now began to fall in tor- 
rents, and the wind rose to a storm 
howling in the forest, and whistling 
round the crags of the mountain sides. 
I<t grew dark two hours before dark- 
ness was due. Red Hugh now deter- 
mined to lead his army back to camp, 
leaving a force of gunmen to hold the 
barricade as well as they could in the 
event of a night attack. Such an at- 
tack might possibly be delivered, but 
Was he to keep his army here all night 
under arms waiting for an assault 
which might never come? In that 
event his tired men would have to con- 
tend in the morning with Clifford's 
well rested and refreshed forces. 

Hugh was himself full of strategy, 
and tactical wiles and guiles, renown- 
ed for the suddenness of his onfalls 
and the celerity of his movements. He 
did not credit Royalist commanders 
with a talent for the execution of such 
strokes, and rightly. The Queen's 
armies, for reasone into which we need 
not now inquire, were slow in their 
movements, and their action could, as 
a rule, be predicted. Hugh bade the 
officer in charge of the barricade send 
a swift mounted messenger to him at 
the fisst sign of the approach of Clif- 
ford's men, bade the bugles sound re- 
treat, and rode away with his army, 
winding darkling, through the wild 
Curlews. 



CHAPTER V. 

TTKE queen's M'flW!EBNT. 

Red Hugh did not succeed in bring- 
ing all his soldiers back to camp. 
Shortly after that sounding of the 
trumpets, there emerged from the 
woods on the right side of the barri- 
cade, three men wearing brazen mori- 
ons,, two with guns on their shoulers, 
who stepped down the slope swiftly, 
going in the direction of Boyle. The 
man who had no gun was a gentleman 
of the McSweenya. 

His name is unknown, but his pur- 
pose Is well known. He was about to 
change sides and ally himself with the 
eause of the Queen. He believed that 
his change of sides would be peculiarly 
welcome to the Queen's people just 
now, because he brought with him im- 



portant intelligence. He could tell 
them that the narrow gorge at the 
head of the Curlew Pass was unde- 
fended, that Hugh Roe, trusting to the 
blackness and wetness of the night, 
had marched back to camp, and that 
if they wished to do a good stroke up- 
on him, now was the time. 

No one can study the history of 
Elizabethan^ Ireland without being 
amazed and disgusted at the choppings 
and changings which marked the 
careers of nearly all the chieftains. 
Qranuaile's son fought first for Hugh 
Roe and then for the Queen, and 
changed sides twice after that. His 
rival, the land Burke, now with Hugh 
Roe, was once a piUaj* of the Queen's 
cause in Mayo. Red Hugh himself, 
once the Queen's O'Donnell, and her 
sworn ally, is now in rebellion. 

His cousin, Nial Garf, now in rebel- 
lion, will one day be a pillar of the 
Queen's cause in the northwest, and 
before the end of the war will be in 
rebellion again. O'Conor Sligo, now as 
a Queen's man blockaded in Collooney, 
will presently be Red Hugh's man, and 
in a year or two be a Queen's man 
again, so that Red Hugh will have to 
seize and imprison him and give his 
lordship to his brother. But in each 
case there is an explanation, and if 
one looks closely into the explanation, 
one does not find the apparent treach- 
eries so very surprising. 

As for the deserters now stepping 
down the slopes of the Curlews, mak- 
ing for Boyle, whose red lights show 
through the darkness and the rain — 
why are they changing sides? The ex- 
planation is this: 

Shortly after Hugh Roe arrived at 
the chieftainship, his foster father, Mc- 
Sweeny of the Battle-Axes, died. There 
were two candidates for that chieftain- 
ship, the son of Hugh's foster father, 
and the son of a former McSweeny, 
who was one of the most famous chief- 
tains of his day, Murrough the Slow, a 
man grandly eulogized by "The Four 
Masters." 

The name of the latter candidate was 
Miler McSweeny, and of the two, I be- 
lieve he had the better right, accord- 
ing to Irish law and custom. But the 
custom being so often broken by the 
strong hand, was not paramount, and 
so Red Hugh manfully stood by his 
own foster-brother and made him Mc- 
Sweeny of the Battle-Axes. He him- 
self, Hugh Roe, was not O'Donnell by 
Irish law. There were others who had 
better claims. 

He, himself, was O'Donnell partly by 
the strong hand, and partly by Royal 
favor, for he began his career as the 
Queen's O'Donnell. He had, therefore, 
naturally, no superstitious reverence 
for Irish law and custom which en- 
joined that the eldest of the clan reg- 
nant, whether nephew, son, uncle or 
cousin, should succeed to a vacant 
chieftainship. Accordingly, Hugh Roe 
made his foster-brother "The Mc- 
Sweeny," and passed over Miler, son 
of Murrough the Slow. 

Miler, collecting his most faithful 
followers and kinsmen, rebelled, was 
beaten, and fled out of Tir-Connall. He 
and his then enlisted in the service of 
the Queen. The authorities promised 



him that after the overthrow of the 
usurping Hugh Roe, he should be Mo- 
Sweeny of the Battle-Axes. So he be- 
came a Queen's man heart and souL 

He was with Essex in the Munster 
campaigns, and so distinguished him- 
self there for valor and conduct that 
Essex knighted him. He was now Sir 
Miler McSweeny, and one of the cele- 
brated soldiers of the day. He had re- 
cently come from Munster into Con- 
nacht. He was a close friend of Sir 
Cony era Clifford, the President, and 
was, I believe, captain of his life- 
guard. Sir Miler McSweeny is now 
marching northwards, hoping to oy&c- 
throw Red Hugh, to drive out the 
usurping McSweeny, and to rule in his 
stead over the lordship of which he 
had been so tyrannously deprived. 

The three men whom we saw desert- 
ing Red Hugh, are ancient friends or 
kinsmen of Sir Miler. Learning that 
he was so near, they resolved to take 
advantage of the darkness and rain, 
and join him in Boyle. No doubt they 
loved Sir Miler, and probably enough, 
like many soldiers, had various 
grounds of complaint against their 
own commander. 

So these three men stepped from t^e 
slopes of the Curlews, crossed the dark 
wet plain, presented themselves to the 
sentinels at Boyle, and were led into 
Sir Miler's presence. To him they ex- 
plained the situation. By him it was 
also explained to Sir Conyers and his 
officers, with the result that in a short 
time the bugles rang out, and all Boyle 
sounded with the noise of military 
preparation. In spite of darkness and 
teeming rain, Clifford's army got on 
march again, and rolled forward 
through the night towards tee pass in 
the Curlew Mountains, which, as we 
know, was now practically undefended. 



CHAPTER VI. 

BRI^N OGTTE OF THE BATTLE-AXES. 

When Hugh Roe arrived at his camp 
he found himself reinforced by the 
arrival of the Lord of Leitrim, The 
O'Rourke, Brian Ogue of the Battle- 
Axes. It was he whose milch cows 
Bingham had seized upon the lawn at 
.Dromahaire. It was he who, by exact- 
ing vengeance on the Binghams for 
that Insult, had unintentionally kin- 
dled all the North into rebellion, and 
so precipitated the Nine Years' War. 
He arrived in camp leading a little 
army of horse and foot, and amongst 
the foot 160 big gallowglasses clad in 
shirts of glittering chain-mall, and 
carrying long battle-axes. As these 
gallowglasses played a great part in 
the Battle of the Curlew Mountains, 
the reader must not forget them. 

Brian Ogue came late, and in fact 
till the last moment had some notion 
of not coming at all. If it be asked 
whether Brian Ogue's record as an in- 
surgent was fair, clear and consistent, 
I must reply that it was not He, too, 
hovered from side to side. The ex- 
planation of Brian Ogue's vacillations 
is interesting in itself, and will help 
to illustrate the character of the times. 

Brian Ogue was his father's eldest 
son, but was not legitimate. He was 
the son of Brian of-the-Ramparts, that 



July, J903. 



THE GAEL 



205 



inordinately proud diieftain, by a 
concubine who afterwards married a 
merohant in the town of SUgo, and 
was living there now as a married 
woman. It must be remembered that 
all over Europe even great nobles did 
not hesitate to espouse the discarded 
concubines of kings. Similarly in Ire- 
land, merchants and the minor gentry 
Uiought it no shame to marry the dis- 
carded concubines of great lords and 
high chieftains. The low standard of 
morals which this practice implies was 
not peculiarly Irish; it was common 
to all Europe, and was one of the re- 
sults of king-worship. There were no 
such king-worshippers anywhere as the 
Irish, and dearly they paid for it in the 
next century. 

Subsequently Brian Ogue's father 
married the Lady Mary Burke, sister 
of Ulick, £^rl of Clanrlcarde. I would 
have the reader remember that there 
was little or no ditierence between 
great people in Ireland and great peo- 
ple in England and elsewhere at this 
time. They were essentially the same 
class. So we find that while Brian of 
the Ramparts married one sister of 
Ulick the Earl. Sir Henry Malby. the 
Queen's President of Connacht, mar- 
ried another. 

Again, the eldest son of Ulick mar- 
ried the Lady Frances Walsingham, 
who was widow of Sir Philip Sidney, 
and also of Robert, Earl of Essex. So 
this high lady, one of the high- 
est in the Empire, called Brian 
of the Ramparts (yRourke, 
"uncle." They were all essen- 
tially the same sort of people, 
and recognized each other as 
such. 

The Lady Mary Burke bore a 
son to O'Rourke. He was 
called Cathal. When O'Rourke 
went into rebellion Cathal was 
a child. So, for purposes of 
war and government, he had 
to lean on his eldest son, the 
son of the concubine. .Conse- 
quently, when the old O'Rourke 
was executed for treason, Brian 
Ogue, in spite of illegitimacy, 
succeeded him as chieftain. 

Meantime, Lady O'Rourke 
sent her boy to school to Lim- 
erick, where he was put under 
the care of a certain Master 
White, who kept a large school 
there, frequented by the sons 
of the western and southern 
lords. The government kept 
an attentive eye upon that 
school. When boys were re- 
moved in large numbers it was 
a storm signal. It meant that 
their fathers were going into 
rebellion. 

The reader will now see that 
though Brian Ogue. the son of 
the concubine, was lord de facto 
of Leitrim, his half brother, 
the school-boy, being his 
father's eldest legitimate son, 
was lord de jure. Brian Ogue 
had, in fact, no claim whatso- 
ever to that seigDorie, save the 
right of the strong hand. When 
Clifford came into the province 
Brian Ogue intrigued with him. 



He hoped that Clifford in return for 
military assistance would be able to 
establish him in his insecure lordship 
and strike some arrangement between 
himself and the house of Clanrick- 
arde which, of course, supported cne 
title of their kinsman the boy Cathal. 

in fact Brian Ogue about this time 
would have openly sided with the 
Queen and supported Clifford to the ut- 
most of his power but for the menaces 
of Red Hugh. Red Hugh had to flash 
his sword, so to speak, several times 
in the eyes of Brian Ogue before he 
could deter him from that course. 

Though Brian Ogue now came late to 
Red Hugh's hosting he did come and 
his arrival was very welcome to Red 
Hugh. This Brian, as we have seen 
elsewhere, was an Oxford man. He 
was at the University when his father 
went into rebellion. Hearing the news 
he fled from Oxford and came homo 
through Scotland and Ulster. 

Hugh marching south to the Curlews 
left no enemy behind him. Ballymots, 
the third great fortress of the terri- 
tory, had fallen into his hands in the 
previous year. It was the capital, as 
one might say, of the barony of Cor- 
ran, the lord of which barony was a 
MacDonough. 

In the previous year this MacDon- 
ough of Oorran captured Ballymote* 
from the O'Conor Sligo and drove out 
the Queen's people. He then sold 



Ballymote to Red Hugh, after which 
it became Hugh's headquarters. This 
event, as recorded in "The Four Mas- 
ters," is curiously suggestive of the 
times: 

"The Governor of Connacht and 
O'Donnell, i. e.. Red Hugh, were bid- 
ding against each other for the castle 
and proposing to purchase it from the 
MacDonoughs. But the end of the 
matter was that the MacDonoughs 
gave the castle to O'Donnell on terms 
of purchase and contract in the middle 
month of the harvest of this year; £400 
and' 300 cows was the price which 
O'Donnell gave the MacDonoughs for 
itho town." 

Here then we see a powerful chief- 
tain affecting neither cause, but anx- 
ious only to make the most he could 
out of the situation. But to judge any 
of these men, we must get out of the 
nineteenth century and take our stand 
in the midst of the sixteenth, and that, 
indeed, is not easy. 




O'CONNOR Sl^iOO l^AV^ COUP&L» AT CUi^i^UuNY.' 



CHAPTER VII. 

B!BD HUGH GIVB6 HIS ICKN A GOOD 
BIBBAKFAfiT AND A SHORT SPEDSDOH. 

Now drew on the Feast of the Vir- 
gin Mary, a festival still known among 
our peasantry as Lady Day in harvest 
On the day before the feast Red Hugh 
proclaimed a solemn fast. All fasted, 
confessed and "received the Body of 
Christ" and went to bed hun- 
gry but comforted. All the 
confederated chieftains gave 
themselves out as champions 
of the Church. Policy If not 
principle led to the adoption of 
that course. The assumption 
of such a role would give them 
greater power over their fol- 
lowers, and enable them to 
draw support from the Cath- 
olic princes of the Continent. 

The religious question, how- 
ever, had, I think, very little 
to do with this or any of the 
Irish wars of the sixteenth cen- 
tury. The princes of Ireland 
really fought in defence of 
their feudal independence. 
Born kings, and educated under 
all the old dynastic influ- 
ences, they could not brook 
the huge invasions which the 
advance of the central author- 
ity during this century made 
upon their jura regalia — the 
tax-gatherers, the sheriffs, the 
Provincial Presidents, the go- 
ing judges of Assize, the abo- 
lition of cuttings and spend- 
ings, of suppers and cosher- 
ings, etc. 

The Queen's Irish were all 
Catholics, too, and I suppose 



•It may interest the reader to 
know that Ballymote was the 
nMu8 of the Taafe family, now 
for a long time very powerful in 
Austria. When the Nine Year»' 
War came to an end Ballymote 
was granted to the Taafes who 
were created viscounts of Corran. , 
They fought for the Crow» 
against the Puritans, were ex- 
pelled, and went Into the Aus- 



trian service. 

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quite as devout But the confederate 
chlets. for one reason or another, 
were wont to represent themselves in 
a peculiar degree as champions of the 
Church. So Red Hugh solemnly pro- 
claimed a fast on the eve of Lady Day. 
after which he and his warriors went 
to hed hungry but comforted. 

Hugh tx>ok good care of his men. 
They were protected from the weather 
and from ague and rheumatism by 
good leathern tents* Hence we may 
presume that such a successful cam- 
paigner and swift journeyer looked 
well also to his commissariat, and that 
his men lacked nothing which fighting 
men should have. Night fell, and also 
rain. Whoever waked that night heard 
it loud-pattering against the leathern 
walls, provoking thoughts. 

It was the eve of the day of battle. 
All expected that Clifford would at- 
tempt to force the Pass on the morrow. 
Some did not sleep and could not, viz.. 
Red Hugh's scouts and sentinels keep- 
ing watch up the Pass looking Boyle- 
ward from the bristly barricado, wet 
to the bone, but vigilant, peering 
through the darkness, or listening with 
inclined heads. 

Morning dawned, still teeming, rain, 
rain, the heavy black sky promising 
an abundant downfall. Red Hugh look- 
ed out, and in his red head arose the 
conviction that the President would 
not move this day, would, on the con- 
trary, remain comfortably In monastic 
Boyle. In gunmen the President was 
superior. Apart from natural disin- 
clination to march and fight under such 
very pluvious conditions, he would be 
unwilling, thought Hugti, to neutralize 
Ms fire-^rms. in those days of tow- 
matches and matchlocks the gunman 
was helpless before rain. 

Brave Hugh, too, I suppose, had 11 1« 
tie stomach for a wet day's fighting, 
and the fasting of the previous day, 
perhaps, made ihlm less alert than 
usual, and helped the wish to engender 
the thought that Clifford would not 
stir, and that this, the Virgin's own 
day, would be spent in peace and fes- 
tivity. His captains came and receiv- 
ed their orders, not murmuring, what- 
ever they may have thought, "for truly 
whatever he ordered it should be done 
according, as he commanded it by the 
word of his mouth."t 

In social hours the young chieftain 
was gentle, but in all that related to 
war and government most Imperative 
an^ masterful. His captains departed, 
and Red Hugh's camp gave no sign of 
an early arming and preparation. 

But now arrived visitors of a differ- 
ent sort. Horsemen galloped up to the 
great central tent, and springing 
swiftly from the saddle, announced 
that the enemy was on the march, and. 
at their ease, crossing or about to cross 
the strewn timber. The battle would 
not now be fought where the advan- 
tage was with the northerns, but on 
this side of the selected point and on 
even terms. 

A swift shadow crossed the face of 
the young prince at these ill tidings. 
Had he known that this blow came 

•"Historla Hlbernlae," p. 210. 
t**Four Masters," 1601. 




IRISH PIPER IN THE TIME OP ELIZABETH. 
From Derrick's ''Image of Ireland." 



from his own revolted vassal, Sir 
Miler, It would probably have been 
deeper. But quickly recovering him- 
self he invented new plans and sent 
out new orders. "Breakfast at once for 
the whole army," was the first of 
these; surely a good beginning for a 
day which promised to be one of long 
and oontlnued battle. Breakfast, too, 
was doubly necessary this morning, 
for his devout warriors were hollow- 
bellied enough after yesterday's severe 
abstinence. 

The ordinary fare of Irish soldiers 
In this century was oatmeal or oat- 
cake and butter, with milk. I have seen 
a contract made between Hugh and one 
of his captains, very precise about meal 
and money, but with no allusion to 
meat. If the reader be not too anxious 
to get on to the battle, perhaps the 
following Homeric picture of the in- 
terior of an Irish camp at night, and 
of the supper served round to the 
guards of a sixteenth century Irish 
chieftain may not be unwelcome:* 

"When Calvach heard that Shane 
had advanced to that place with his 
forces he sent two of his faithful men 
to reconnoitre them, whose names 
were Donough Ogue, son of Donough 
Roe Maguire and l^aurlce MacAllln. 
Those twain went forward unnoticed 
until they were in the midst of the 
warriors of Shane, who were so nu- 
merous that they could not know one 
another even by day save only by re- 
cognizing their leaders. 

"Those two just-mentioned persons 
moved on from one camp-fire to an- 

•"Four Masters," A. D. 1557. 



Other, till they came to the great cen- 
tral fire which was In front of the tent- 
door of the son of O'Neill, from which 
an Immense light blazed forth, for here 
In the center was the commander him- 
self, and around that fire were sixty 
war-like gal low-glasses ready for ac- 
tion, with their sharp, well-moun-ted 
battle-axes, and sixty resolute deter- 
mined Scots, with their broad, 
weighty, sore-smiting swords In their 
hands, watching and guarding the son 
of O'Neill. 

"When the time arrived for the 
forces to take their food, and while it 
was divided and distributed among 
thorn, these two spies extended their 
hands for their portion, like the rest, 
to the distributor, and what they 
received was their helmets full 
of meal, with a due proportion of 
butter. 

"With these proofs they returned to 
their people. That night Shane was 
attacked, his army destroyed, and he 
himself barely escaped. In the division 
of the booty there fell to the share of 
Con, son of Calvach, the splendid steed 
of the son of O'Neill, which was called 
Mac-an-Ilar, son of the eagle." 

Red Hugh's warriors on this event- 
ful morning got some such breakfast,* 
with milk. Meat probably, was added 
as far as possible. The prince surely 
gave his men as good a breakfast aa 
his commissariat could supply. 

♦"Extemplo jubet O'Donnellus milltea 
cito capere cibum quo flrmlores praellan- 
do sint.'* Forthwith O'Donnell directs 
his soldiers to eat breakfast in order that 
they may be strongrer for fighting.^ 
Philip O'Sullivan^^ 

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207 



Meantime he sent for one of his best 
officers, MacDermot of the Curlews, his 
marcher lord in this regrion, also for 
his own foster-brother, MacSweeny of 
the Battle-Axes, and for two brothers 
of the war-like and famous sepi of the 
O'Gallaghers, namely, Ek>cha and TuUy 
O'Gallagher. These he directed to 
take six standards of foot, gunmen for 
the most part, to advance into the 
mountains and gall and impede Clif- 
ford, all they could, in his progress 
through the Curlews; and he appointed 
MacDermot chief in command. He 
also ordered Brian Ogue of the Battle- 
Axes to follow MacDermot with his 
160 heavy-^rmed BrefPneian gallow- 
glasses, as a solid back to Uuut skir- 
mishing party. 

These captains having received their 
orders, returned to their quarters and 
made the necessary preparations. 
Breakfast now over, Red Hugu appear- 
ed in armour before his tent, where 
the army was summoned to attend, and 
delivered a brief military harangue. He 
was now 26 years of age, had been for 
seven years prince of Tir-Connall, and 
had enjoyed seven years of almost un* 
broken triumph in war. The speech 
has been preserved by Philip O'Sulli- 
van, who was personally acquainted 
with many who heard it (See '*His- 
torla HibernlflB," p. 210.) 

In striving to Imagine this scene, the 
reader will remember that Red Hugh 
was a very handsome youth. "His 
countenance," say the veracious "Four 
Masters," who knew him, "was so 
beautiful that every one who looked 
upon him, loved him." He was per- 
fectly proportioned, very strong, andl 
well set in figure, of middle height, 
rather tall than short. His complexion 
was of that clear brightness which 
usually accompanies red hair, and his 
eyes, full, gray, and luminous, and 
keen as an eagle's. 

''Soldiers, through the help of the 
Holy Virgin, Mother of Qod, we have 
ere this, at all times conquered our 
heretic foe. To-day we will annihilate 
him. In her name yesterday we fasted. 
To-day we celebrate her feast. So 
then in the Virgin's name, let us 
bravely fight and conquer her en- 
emies." 

Shouts and the clash of arms proved 
that he had touched the right chord 
in the hearts of those simple warriors, 
for whom the middle ages had by no 
means passed away, but who were still 
as devout, and in the old way, as their 
forefathers of the days of the Cru- 
saders. 

With banners waving, war-pipes 
screaming, MacDermot and his 600 
men marched swiftly into the moun- 
tains. Rain still fell, but not heavily. 
After him, at a slower pace, followed 
Brian Ogue and his mailed gallow- 
glasses, over whom waved the 
O'Rourke banner, showing the lions 
of the house of Breffney sur- 
mounted by a mailed hand grasping a 
dagger. 

As MacDermot and Brian Ogue dis- 
appeared, folded away and hidden in 
the hollows of the hills, Red Hugh and 
his host also advanced till they reach- 
ed a point at which Clifford's progress 



might best be obstructed.* The point 
selected by Red Hugh for fighting the 
Battle of the Curlew Mountains, was 
one where cavalry could not operate, 
and where his fianks could not be turn- 
ed. He sent his war-horses to the rear 
and dismounted his lancers, for he was 
resolved to put his whole strength in- 
to the contest at this selected point. 

Here he was rejoined by the 300 
whom he had previously planted as a 
guard upon that unused and circuitous 
road, and where their presence was no 
longer necessary. Having made all his 
dispositions, he and his chief officers 
rode forward in the track of MacDer- 
mot and Brian Ogue, to see how mat- 
ters fared in the hills, whence prob- 
ably sounds of firing already came. 

Red Hugh expected that he would 
be soon rejoined by his skirmishers, 
falling back before Clifford's advance. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CLIFFORD ENTERS THE CURLEWS. 

To return to Clifford. The three de- 
serting McSweenies arriving at Boyle 
informed their dear lord. Sir Miler, 
that the Curlews were undefended, 
Hugh Roe having marched back to 
camp. Sir Miler brought the news to 
Clifford. Clifford sent out the neces- 
sary orders, and presently all Boyle 
rang with the sound of bugles and the 
noise of military preparation. The 
tired sokliers had to buckle on their 
war-geaV again and face once more the 
raging elements. 

Soon the whole army, horse, foot, 
and carriages were again upon the 
road. The walls and turrets of monas- 
tic Boyle were left behind and Clif- 
ford's host rolled along the great road 
leading into Ulster across the Curlews, 
men and horses plodding wearily for- 
ward through the miry ways and driv- 
ing rain. Clifford, by Sir Miler's ad- 
vice, avoided the unfrequented way 
which Red Hugh had beset with 300 
men. At the foot of the Curlews he 
bade Markham halt with the horse in 
a green pasture. Day now dawned, not 
rosy-fingered, but wet exceedingly. 

It was about this time that at the 
other side of the Curlew Mountains 
the conviction arose in a certain red 
head there that Clifford would not 
march that day. The army now began 
to ascend the Curlews in three divi- 
sions. The vanguard was commanded 
by Sir Alexander Ratcliffe, son of the 
Earl of Sussex, the barttle, 1. e., the 
strong central division by Clifford him- 
self. The rear-giULrd was brought up 
under Sir Arthur Savage, captain of a 
Norman-Irish sept of the County of 
Down. 

About a quarter of a mile from the 
mouth of the passage Ratcliffe came 
upon "a barricade with double fianks," 
in fact the woody obstruction at which 
Red Hugh had intended to dispute the 

•The name of this place waa. Dun- 
aveeragh. In one account of Red Hugh's 
speech, he is represented as concluding 
with these words: "The congregation at 
the altar will make way for you, mur- 
muring. 'This is a man who fought at 
Dunaveeragh." 



passage of the Curlews.* There were 
a few sentries there who discharged 
their muskets and fied. The place was 
practically undefended. 

Opening a passage through the bar- 
ricade Sir Conyers placed guards upon 
the same with instructions not to stir 
until they should hear from him again, 
which they never did. On the right 
flank of the half-ript barricade he put 
Lieutenant Rogers and his company, 
on the left Ralph Constable, an officer 
held in high and deserved honor "for 
his virtue." 

Not far from Constable and on the 
same flank he posted Captain Walter 
Flood and Captain Windsor. Each of 
these captains had forty men. There 
were 160 In all, Ralph Constable being 
chief in command. Should the army 
suffer a disaster in title mountains the 
Governor believed that Constable 
would hold the half barricaded gap 
and check the onrush of the pursuers. 
He was a prudent general and looked 
behind as well as before. 

Having made these sensible arrange- 
ments, Clifford led his army into the 
heart of the Curlews. The Curlews are 
not so much mountains as great bleak 
highlands of a boggy character like 
nearly all Irish highlands and hills, a 
t&dt which accounts for the softness 
and rounded beauty of our mountain 
scenery. Presently, still ascending, the 
army came upon a great expanse of 
brown moorland looked down on by 
distant hills. A gray road traversed the 
bog and at the further end stopped 
short suddenly in a green wood. The 
wood blocked the view northwards. 
Clifford could not tell what was 
going on at the other side of 
tiiat wood. 

The road was not straight but swerv- 
ed considerably, resembling a well- 
bent bow. It was bordered by some 
ground moderately firm, studded with 
yellow furze whence its name Bohcur* 
huidJic or the Yellow Road. As string 
to this bent bow there ran straight 
across the bog a sort of causeway, not 
exactly a way, but more of the nature 
of firm ground, rough and obstructed. 
Its course was traceable by the eye, 
for it was greener than the surround- 
ing bog. This causeway leaving the 
regular road at a certain point north 
of the barricado fell In again with the 
road well on this side of the wood; let 
the reader remember this rous^ 
causeway intersecting the bend of the 
road. 

The army went by the road advanc- 
ing as before in three separate divi- 
sions. Sir Aleander Ratcliffe was la 
the van, Clifford in the battle. Sir Ar- 
thur Savage leading the rear column. 
Carts and horses, mules and ffarrané 
bearing panniers filled the spaces be- 
tween the columns. Here in fact went 
the baggage, ammunition and provi- 
sions. 

*Slr John Harrington In one of his let- 
ters says that on his return to Bngland 
he will hold his own with any the loudest 
captain and talk as well as he about 
barricades, cazemets, etc., etc., and 
truly In the Irish Journal which he kept 
there is a bewildering maze of uncouth 
military phraseology thrown In I believs 
with humorous intent,y j 

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CHAPTER IX. 

BATCUFFE OL3CABS THE BOHAB-BUTDHB 
WOOD. 

So over the vast brown bog the Roy- 
alist army, minus the cavalry» wound 
its way slowly towards the wood. Be- 
low them lay Constable and his 160 
guarding the barrlcado. Below these, 
again, Clifford's cavalry took their ease 
at the foot of the hills southwards. The 
IMUSsage of the Curlews was not yet 
achieved nor a point reached at which 
horse could be anything but a danger 
and encumbrance. 

It was now morning. The pouring 
rain of the previous night gradually 
ceased, the sky cleared, and the sun 
rose. The peasantry who from the 
liiUs watched the army saw the glit- 
tering of armor and weapons with 
thoughts friendly or hostile as the 
Queen's host slowly threaded the 
brown bog curving round towards the 
wood where all believed that the bat- 
tle of the Curlew Mountains would now 
be lost or won. 

As the atmosphere cleared the plc- 
turesqueness of the scenery became 
observable, lit up now in the light of 
the rising sun. Hills stood well de- 
fined against the blue of the sky. Bits 
of primeval forest showed here and 
Hiere. The heaither which still clothes 
these mountain sides was purpling 
with the advance of Autumn, but had 
not yet assumed its deepest hues. 
Swollen by last night's pouring rain 
mountain streams flashed white in the 
distance. The Curlew Mountains, how- 
ever, though picturesque, are not im- 
posing and hardly deserve the name. 

Such was the scene amid which the 
Queen's host advanced curving round 



by that bent road and approaching the 
wood which bounded the vast brown 
bog on the north. Flocks of crying 
curlews, scared by the sound and glit- 
ter, rose here and there, settling down 
at greater distances. All eyes were 
now fixed on the wood. It wus obvious- 
ly the next point, and Sir Conyers 
thought the last point at which the 
passage of the Curlews could be dis- 
puted with any advantage to the 
northerns. 

All believed that this wood was filled 
with Red Hugh's warriors, and that 
the battle would be fought amid its 
depths. It was August 14th, and here 
as elsewhere Autumn was laying a 
fiery finger on the leaves, upon the 
mountain ash chiefly, a tree very com- 
mon in primeval Irish woods — also the 
first which yields itself to autumnal 
painting. 

Nor were Clifford's conjectures quite 
wrong, though too far from quite 
right. As Ratcliffe approached the 
wood the still quiet groves of it became 
suddenly alive. From some half thou- 
sand matchlocks scattered along its 
edge, each gunman there posted well 
behind a protecting tree, tongues of 
fire flashed out through the leaves and 
scrub, bullets of lead and iron began 
to rain into Ratcliffe, and smoke con- 
cealed all greenery. Hoarse voices in 
Gaelic shouted words of command, for 
here was The MacDermot with Red 
Hugh's 600 ihrquebus men, archers, and 
musqueteers. The Battle of the Curlew 
Mountains had begun. « 

Forthwith Ratcliffe formed his col- 
umn for attack, light troops forward, 
gallowglasses behind, and plunged in- 
to the smoke regardless of the fast- 
flashing tongues and the raining bul- 



lets. The firing suddenly ceased. If 
there was any fighting it was mostly 
hand-to-hand and unseen amid the 
trees. I believe there was not much. 
As bold Ratcliffe and his men with a 
shout plunged into and through t^e 
wood, firing as they went, MacDermot 
and his men began to pour out at the 
other side. 

Although the wood might have been 
successfully maintained had Red Hugh 
concentrated all his forces there In 
time, it was not maintainable by such 
strength as MacDermot had at his 
command. I may mention here casual- 
ly that Boyle had been the capital of 
the MacDermot nation till fierce Bing- 
ham took it from them, and, the Queen 
being agreeable, conferred it upon him- 
self, and tha/t the Boyle monastery was 
a foundation of the same family. So 
MacDermot had in this war something 
to fight for beyond glory. 

MacDermot, however, could not hold 
the wood. He fell back, he and his 
gunmen, retreating upon Brian Ogue, 
who also with his gallowglasses fell 
back northwards and nearer to Red 
Hugh's camp, far enough, at least, not 
to subject themselves to any very dead- 
ly fire on the part of Ratcliffe's men, 
who now emerged, cheering, on the 
northern borders of the same, prob- 
ably sending thence a volley by way 
of military farewell into MacDermot's 
rear. 

Ratcliffe had cleared out the BoTuir' 
luidhe wood in fine style, opening up, 
so far, the. passage of the Curlews. 
From the wood, which was half a mile 
in depth, the road still running north- 
wards and Collooneywards, now tra- 
versed another brown bog, and along 
this moving off leisurely and in good 




CLIFFORD AND HIS FORCES LEAVING BOYLE (FROM AN OLD PRINT.) 



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THE GAEL. 



209 



order Ratcliffe saw MacDermot and 
the expelled gunmen retreating in the 
wake of Brian Ogue of the Battle-Axes 
and his small but formidable-looking 
cohort of mailed gallowglasses trailing 
their long battle-axes. 

Beaten so far were the northerns, 
but obviously not beaten to flight, 
Genial Homer would have pictured 
MacDormot and Brian Ogue as two 
raw-devouring lions beaten off from 
the cattle fold, but retreating slowly, 
looking around and askance, not be- 
ing at all terrified In their minds. In 
suchwise did Brian Ogue of the long- 
ehadowed battle-axe and MacDermot 
of the loud war-cry yield before to the 
fierce onrush of the Mao-nn-Ia/rla.^ 



CHAPTER X. 

BXTT FHSmS THAT TKB BOG MUQT BE 
FOUGHT FOB. 

As soon as Clifford learned that Red 
Hugh's people had been driven out of 
the wood and that the way was clear- 
ed, he despatched a messenger with or- 
ders to Markham to bring up the 
horse. He, the messenger, aide-de- 
oamp as we would now eay, rode along 
the curving road through the first bog 
past Ralph Constable and his detach- 
ment who guarded the barricado, com- 
municating to them the glad news, and 
60 fared downwards and southwards 
to that green pasture, where the horses 
-were grazing and the men were stroll- 
ing about or sitting on their big mili- 
tary saddles the ground being so wet 

But we must hasten back to more 
exciting scenes, noting only that at this 
time Markham and the Queen's horse 
began to get under way. Meantime the 
Invading army was traversing the dan- 
gerous Bohar-huidhe wood which had 
been so gallantly cleared by Ratcliffe 
and the vanguard. 

Here for half a mile the solid slow 
wheels groaned and screeched and the 
tramp of marching men echoed in the 
dim depths of the forest, intermingled 
with the sharper noise of the hoofs of 
horses, **and the trees waved above 
them their green leaves" sparsely 
touched with fire and gold "dewy with 
Nature's tear-drops as they passed." 

Through this half mile of primeval 
forest rolled the army, a scene of syl- 
van loveliness and beauty through 
which Destiny had determined that it 
should roll again not so harmoniously. 

Savage and the rear guard were 
probably still among the trees when 
the sound of fresh firing in front prov- 
ed that Ratcliffe and the van were 
again engaged 'with the enemy, open- 
ing up a mile or two more of the wild 
road through the Curlews. The army 
as it emerged from the wood observed 
the same order of advance. Ratcliffe 
with his gunmen and light troops still 
in the van. 

The road now traversed another bog, 
bare too, save that there was on the 
eastern side, that to Ratcliffe's right, 
another wood lying rather further 
than a calyver's shot from the road. 
Upon this road MacDermot's men were 

•Ratcliffe was son of the Earl of Sus- 
sex. The Irish at this time had a great 
respect for Mac-an-Iarlas. 



still in view and also as Ratcliffe soon 
perceived deploying for fight, *'not be- 
ing at all terrified in their minds." 

The left wing of MacDermot's little 
army abutted on and was protected by 
the wood. His right leaned upon the 
hillside, for the road at this point 
skirted the mountain. The bog-plain 
sloped from right to left. MacDermot's 
right so leaned upon high and rugged 
ground, and his left upon the wood a 
necessary arrangement, seeing that 
otherwise he, being of inferior strength 
would be out-fianked and compelled to 
retreat even without shot fired. The 
ground upon whic^ MacDermot de- 
ployed, though described as bog, was 
yet notwithstanding consistent enough 
for fighting purposes. 

Ratcliffe also drew out his men and 
disposed them in fighting order. There 
was no opportunity for manoeuvering 
or nice feats of generalship. It was a 
fair and even duel between the gunmen 
of both armies. 

MacDermot's men had the advantage 
of the ground, for they were more in- 
ured to fighting in such an element 
than regular troops. Ratcliffe's on the 
other hand, were superior in numbers 
and furnished probably with a better 
style of weapon. Moreover, MacDer- 
mot's six hundred were not all gun- 
men. With them were interspersed 
bowmen, Scots for the most part, Red 
Hugh's maternal kindred, and javelin- 
men who hurled their spears exactly 
like the warriors of the Iliad, casting 
with great force and accuracy to an 
extraordinaiy distance. 

Remember, too, that Elizabethan fire 
arms were very different towards ours. 
Good armor could resist the impact of 
their bullets and their range was very 
short. So javelin-men, Homeric spear- 
casters trained from childhood to the 
practice of the art, were of consider- 
able service when the opposing ranks 
come into some relative nearness. 

Behind Ratcliffe's fast deploying men 
the rest of the Royalist army stood 
"refused," waiting till he should dis- 
perse this obstruction and clear the 
way once more. Immediately behind 
him was the first division of the con- 
voy, then the main battle under the 
President, then the second convoy, af- 
ter which Savage and the rear guard 
still struggling through the Bohar- 
huidlie wood. 



CHAPTER XL 

FTGHT on TBtE BOG SltKO. 

It was eleven of the clock, a clear 
and bright forenoon, all nature well 
washed and glittering from the heavy 
rainfall of the preceding night 

Now began in right earnest the con- 
flict which is called the Battle of the 
Curlew Mountains. Many a battle had 
been fought upon this famous road as 
far back as the bright semi-fabulous 
epoch of Queen Maeve, and far beyond. 
By this road Ulster Invaded Connacht, 
and Connacht Ulster. Here defenders 
had the advantage, and many a flerce 
conflict had been fought and won up- 
on these brown bogs. 

The great John de Courcy and his 



ally, Cathal, Red-Hand,* passed this 
way to flght William Fitz Adelm de 
Burgh, patriarch of all the Irish 
Burkes. By this road, too, a son of the 
Red-Hand, fleeing before the face of 
the children of William, once lifted all 
his people bodily out of Connacht, 
seeking shelter with Red Hugh's an- 
cestors. 

Many a famous march and battle had 
been enacted in these celebrated moun- 
tains, which now for the flrst time rang 
with the thunder of modern weapons 
of war. So the descriptive energy of 
our **Four Masters" is not quite »e- 
dundant and uncalled for as we might 
imagine, when they pause amid their 
piftti to supply a picture of this new 
form of martial terror: 

"As to the vanguard"— Ratcliffe's 
gunmen — "they kept on advancing till 
they met the foreign battalions," Red 
Hugh's Tir-Connallians under MacDer- 
mot. "When they came close togeth- 
er, MacDermot's men cast forth at 
them a destructive pouring rain of 
their well-shaped ashen spears; flights 
of sharp-pointed arrows shot from 
their long, strong and effective bows, 
and thick volleys of red-fiaming flashes 
and of hot fiery balls of lead from their 
perfectly straight and sure-aiming 
guns.t 

These shooting volleys were answer- 
ed by Ratcliffe's warriors, and their 
reports and echoes and resounding 
thunders were heard in woods and in 
waters, and in the castles and stone 
buildings of all surrounding territor- 
ies. Marvellous that the weak-hearted 
yea. and the brave, too, did not flee 
from the conflict, hearing such battle- 
clangour, and the thunderings and 
echoing of that powerful flring, for on 
both side champions were pierced and 
heroes slain." 

Mark here, as elsewhere, the beauti- 
ful impartiality of our noble "Four 
Masters." Few, if any, historians ever 
rivalled them in generosity and mag- 
nanimity, such their heroic love of 
heroism, of manly or womanly virtue, 
no matter what its origin or the cause 
in which it was exhibited. 

The Protestant and the Catholic, the 
Englishman and the Irishman, the 
Milesian chief, and Norman-Irish 
noble, or English courtier fresh from 
the Queen's smiles— all in strict pro- 
portion to their worth or unworth— are 
stigmatized or praised in their pure 
and ardent pages. Modern historians 
of that temper we need, and I hope 
yet will have as magnanimous, bjs just, 
and as veracious as that famous medi 
SBval Four. 

The Royalist vanquard, now well de- 
ployed, soon settled down steadily to 
their war-like work—readily, though 
the. nature of the ground was anything 
but favorable to straight shooting, and 

•••Cahal Mor, of the Wine-Red Hand," 
Into whose heart God hath breathed more 
piety and virtue than into any of the 
Irish of his time."— Pour Masters. 

tl believe it is to this battle that Man- 
gran refers in his poem of "The Dark 
Rosaleen." when he puts the folio wing 
words into Red Hugh's mouth: 

"And gun-peal and slogan-cry 
Wake many a glen serene 

Ere you shall fade, ere you shall die 
My dark Rosaieen." 

V__7 



210 



THE GAEL. 



July, Í903. 



many a brave Boldier, as he levelled his 
piece» found It hard even to keep his 
feet in the yielding soil. Under the 
eyes of the President and the whole 
army, Ratcliffe's men deployed, took 
rank, and fired; loaded, advanced, and 
fired again, ever advancing and ever 
firing, and the Tir-Connallians, spite 
their showers of arrows and spears, 
and the "thick volleys of red-flaming 
flashes" with which they responded, 
began to fall back, their steady ranks 
wavering, trembling, as it were, to- 
wards breakage and dispersion. 

The men had not expected that they 
would be required to flght a outranee 
with Clifford's whole army now fast 
emerging from the wood, and getting 
into position behind their vanguard. 
They believed, and no doubt rightly 
believed, that their commander's in- 
structions had been to fight and fall 
back, and expected momentarily to 
hear the bugles sing retreat But Mac- 
Dermot perceived that his handful 
might even so, by determined valor, 
defeat and destroy all Clifford's army. 

Could he but beat Ratcliffe and the 
vanguard, and drive them back in con- 
fusion upon the convoy, and then dou- 
ble up the convoy and the vanguard 
together upon the battle, what might 
not happen in such obstructed ground 
to an army left bare of its horse and 
encumbered with its own weight? 

At all events he saw his opportunity, 
and would not have the bugles sing re- 
treat at all, but advance if anything, 
and the war-pipes shriek only battle 
and onfall. Nothing loath, the pipers 
stepped out and piped. 

They were brave men, these pipers. 
The modem military band retires as 
its regiment goes into action. But the 
piper went on before his men and piped 
them into the thick of battle. He ad- 
vanced, sounding his battle-pibroch, 
and stood in the ranks of war while 
men fell round him. Derrick in his 
/Image of Ireland," about this date, 
gives a wood-cut representing a battle. 
In the fore-front of the Irish lies a 
slain figure reflecting little credit on 
the artist, but under which Derrick 
writes "pyper," well aware that the 
fall of the musician was an event of 
importance second only to that of a 
considerable officer. So in the State 
Papers we often read such entries as 
tills: 

"Slew Hugh, son of Hugh, 

twenty-five of his men, and two 

pipers." "Slew Art O'Connor and 

his piper." 

An illegitimate brother of Black 
Thomas of Ormond gives a long list, 
name by name, of the rebels whom he 
slew. Divers pipers are specially men- 
tioned, and in such a manner as to in- 
dicate that the slayer was particularly 
proud of such achievements. 

So here upon the brown bog Red 
Hugh's pipers stood out beyond their 
men sounding wild and high the battle- 
pibrochs of the north with hearts and 
hands brave as any in the wild work, 
and the bugles sang only battle, rang 
battle, onfall and victory in men's 
hearts and ears, and the awful music 
of the oaths out-sang all other sounds, 
out-pealed the bugle-calls and battle 
pibrochs, the thundering of the cap- 



tains rose above the thundering of the 
guns. 

Up and down, to and fro, ran these, 
adjuring and menacing, striking and 
beating back the runaways. Hither 
and thither with swords drawn ran the 
Irish officers, MacDermot, lord of the 
Curlews, and Red Hugh's foster-broth- 
er, McSweeny of the Battle-Axes, and 
the two O'Gallaghers, Eocha and TuUy 
To and fro, up and down the wavering 
ranks they rushed thundering abuse, 
protestations, and many a fierce Irish 
oath and curse; raising high the sacred 
name of Mary, "Mary" not O'Donn^l 
a-hoo seems to h«ve been the war-cry 
that day. 

Behind the wavering gunmen stood 
the lowering mailed figure of the young 
Oxonian, Brian Ogue and his century 
and a half of ranked gallowglasses, 
their long weapons levelled, not likely 
to show cowards any mercy. Silent and 
steady they stood to rear of all the bat- 
tle clangor and confusion, a mass, 
though a mnall one, of valor educated 
and ti-ained to the point of perfection; 
clad in complete steel, ready to go on 
or go back at a word from their young 
chieftain, not at all ready to loose rank 
in either movement — ^flower of the 
Brennymen, "very great scorners of 
death." 

And again rear-ward upon some emi- 
nence stood famous Red Hugh, if we 
could only contrive to see him, with 
his blue flashing eyes and notorious 
fiery locks escaped from the helmet 
and falling on his mailed shoulders, 
his countenance which "no one could, 
see without loving," not now soft, 
bright and amiable as the "Four Mas- 
ters" beheld it when they were boys, 
but stern and minatory. Somewhere 
far off stood Red Hugh with his broth- 
ers, brave Rory, afterwards Earl, one 
of the two who made the Flight of the 
Earls and closed a great chapter of 
Irish history; and Manus, the well-be- 
loved, who was to die at home in Tir- 
Connallf slain by the hand of his own 
rough cousin Nial Garf; and Cath^harr, 
"Top of Battle," youngest of the fa- 
mous four. 

Then near at hand, just in the rear 
of the fighting men, rode O'Rourke's 
bard, and MacDermot's, and Red 
Hugh's as close as they might to the 
field of battle, noting who were the 
brave and who the recreant. The pub- 
lic entertain a very false notion of the 
medieval bard. They picture him as 
an old bent man, with flowing white 
beard, sad, bowed down in spirit, but 
flashing up under the influence of 
liquor and the spell of poetic rage, a 
humble wight receiving gifts which 
were a sort of alms. Such is our mod- 
ern romantic conception of the bard. 

The real bard was a high-spirited, 
proud, and even wealthy man, chief of 
a sept, and lord of extensive estates, 
holding the same by right and not by 
grace. If he received gifts and favors 
he gave them, and his well-replenished 
house was open to all comers. He was 
a gentleman, and ranked with the best. 

When he went abroad he was as well 
mounted and attended as other chiefs. 
He had men of war to wait on him, 
though he himself wore no arms, and 
never fought, for flghting was not his 



function but the causing of others to 
flght well. He carried no harp, and no 
orphan boy carried one for him, and 
though he made poems and knew 
poems by the hundred, he was no re- 
citer. He went to the wars as an ob- 
server and watcher, and men feared 
him. Somewhere, I say, in the neigh- 
borhood of the battle such bards, 
mounted on fleet steeds, watched the 
progress of the fray, noting who were 
the heroes and who the poltroons. 

And still in the brown bog the cap- 
tains thundered and the bugles rang 
battle, and the banners waved defiance 
and advance, and the war-pipes sound- 
ed their shrillest and maddest, the 
brave pipers standing out well in ad- 
vance of the flghters. Again, through 
the hearts of the wavering Tlr-Connal- 
lians the fading battle-flre blazed out 
anew; again, with flrm mien and un- 
broken ranks they stood steady to 
their, war-work and hurled their rain 
of spears and arrows, and levelled and 
flred their "perfectly straight and 
sure-aiming guns" upon the advanc- 
ing Royalists. 



CHAPTER XII. 

MAC D£BlfOT BBQELAKS TBX BAITLX ON 
THlE QUiaBN'S HOST. 

Once again Red Hugh's men stood 
steady and unwavering under the 
Royalist flre, returning the same and 
with interest. The Royalists had had 
a long and wet march, and were not in 
such good condition as Red Hugh's 
fresh and well breakfasted troops. Now 
in their turn they too began to slack 
flre, to waver in their ranks, and flnal- 
ly to retreat upon the pike men, prob- 
ably throwing them too into disorder. 
The Tir-Connallians pressing forward 
began to rain their bullets into the 
dense ranks of the Queen's gallow- 
glasses of the first division, who had 
neither cavalry or musketeers to sweep 
back their assailants. So the latter at 
their ease poured volley after volley 
upon the unresisting mass. 

RatclifFc seeing that his gunmen 
were now beaten past the rally sought 
to organize a charge of his gallow- 
glaases, crying loudly that he would 
head the charge himself, calling all 
true men to follow, and even summon- 
ing individuals by name out of the 
wavering and confused ranks. Mecm- 
time Red Hugh's "fulminators" were 
pouring into the struggling crowd out 
of which RatcliCTe sought to disengage 
the braver elements and fashion a for- 
forn hope. 

Having in some sort compassed his 
purpose, though already suffering from 
a shot in the face, he was leading them 
on "with unconquerable resolution" 
when his leg was broken by a gun- 
shot which brought him to a sudden 
halt. So while the blood of his first 
wound ran down his face, stood Rat- 
clifl'e supported in the arms of two of 
his officers.* and in this situation 
roared to Henry Cosby,t who seems to 

•On^ of them, Godred Tyrwhlt. brother 
of Robert Tyrwhlt of Ketleby In Lincoln- 
shire. 

tHe had comma/í3^qí^ %^1^4 ^fiart of 
the vanguard. 



TytiWgte"" 



July, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



211 



have been next In command, directing 
him to lead the charge, but perceiving 
him Black and as he was being with- 
drawn out of fire he called anew to his 
lieutenant: **I see, Cosby, that I must 
leave thee to thy baseness, but will tell 
thee ere I go that it were better for 
thee to die by the hands of thy coun- 
trymen than at my return to perish by 
my sword."* 

But Cosby went not on. He was son 
of Francis Cosby of Stradbally Hall in 
O'More's country, Cosby of the decor- 
ated tree, and brother of Alexander 
who (as it was surmised) so cleverly 
dodged the wild cutting and slashing 
of Rory Ogue by using his comrade as 
a shield. Cosby came not on but the 
Tir-Connallians did. They drew 
close, archers, cross-bowmen, 
casters and gunmen, ranked be- 
fore this jammed mob of soldiers, 
and slaughtered at their leisure, 
while flaming Ratcliife was being 
carried to the rear, and cowardly 
Cosby "showed slackness" in 
leading the forlorn- which his 
brave commander had disengaged 
and fashioned out of the clubbed 
vanguard. 



a shout which at such an instant 
changed fortitude to alarm and 
alarm to panic terror, went upon the 
foe. 

The battle harvest was ripe and these 
were the reapers; ripened, if I may say 
so, by that rain of darts and spears 
and heat of "red-flaming flashes" and 
fiery balls of lead. Guess how coward 
Cosby, who showed slackness in charg- 
ing the gunmen, met this forward- 
sweeping wave of steel, with its crest 
of glittering axes. Cosby and his for- 
lorn quickly fell back as if there were 
any hope in demoralized numbers, ter- 
rified yet more by the retreat of the 
only corps which still showed some 
rudiments of formation. 



CHAPTER Xni. 

THE BREXNY MEN LET LOOSE. 

This was the moment for a 
cavalry charge which, under such 
conditions, would have cut the 
vanguard to ribbons. But cav- 
alry there were none on either 
side. Neither Clifford nor Red 
Hugh would trust their precious 
cavalry in those bogs and ob- 
structions. But in the rear of 
MacDermot's men there was 
something as good, better in 
such ground as this. Here in 
shining ranks stood O'Rourke's 
Brenny men standing at their 
ease watching the fray, waiting 
for one word from their chief. At 
last the word came, literally a 
word. Brian Ogue, -in tones not 
familiar to the class-rooms of 
Oxford, where not long since 
Brian Ogue of the Battle-Axes 
O'Rourke did nonsense verses or 
boggled over the mysteries of 
Barbara, Felapton, Darii Ferioque 
priores and the irregular verbs of 
Lily's Latin grammar,t shouted 
Earragh. 

"Farragh," he cried now, not 
Ferio. and like hounds slipped 
from the leash, O'Rourke's Bren- 
ny men went upon the Queen's 
guard. Only 160, but mailed gallow- 
glasses, picked men and strong, the 
flower of Breffney, all in rank perfectly 
fresh, eager as hounds certain of vic- 
tory. MacDermot's gunmen and arch- 
ers gave way to the right hand and 
to the left, opening out like fold- 
ng-doors as the Brennymen with 

•Here we learn a remarkable fact, viz., 
that the Cosbles were Irish; let those who 
Bet down Mullaghmast to the debtor side 
of England's account remember this. 

t"It was ordered that no Latin gram- 
mar but Lily's should be taught in this 
kingdom," in order to assimilate the in- 
struction of youth in the two countries, 
A. D. 1587.— "Sir James Ware's Annals." 




van- 



RATCLIFFB PFLi^ SBVERELY WOUNDED. 

The vanguard was hopelessly club- 
bed, gunmen and halberdiers inextri- 
cably entangled. Nor at this juncture 
had they a leader to disentwine the 
tangle and pull the lines straight and 
distinct. The vanguard wa« captain- 
less, reduced to that disastrous state 
by Ratcllffe's broken leg and Cosby 's 
lily heart Brave men, surely abun- 
dant enough even now in this wild mo- 
ment, had no chance, mobbed, over- 
borne by the cowards unable to flnd 
each other out in the press and stand 
together disengaged from «the ruck. 
What chance ever have the brave left 
captainless— what fate but to be tram- 
pled down by the fools and cowards? 



Had that random bullet but spared 
their captain's shank-bone things 
might have been so different. Were he 
at this moment to return as he had 
promised, and, a« he had promised, run 
his blade through Cosby for a swift 
and salutary beginning, he, standing 
clear of the chaos, would have gather- 
ed all these to himself, crying to them 
in general and calling men by their 
names. But the Mac-an-Iarln was well 
on his way to the rear now. Brave 
Ratoliffe was gone and Cosby's lily 
heart struck work while his shaking 
knees were already turning to flight 
and the vanguard was hopelessly club- 
bed and the yelled "Farragh" of the 
Brennymen clove all ears and hearts. 
To left and right MacDermot 
and his gunmen opened out like 
double docgrs unfolding as Brian 
^ - ^ Ogue went into the Queen's van- 
5^^^ guard. To left and right they 
^^ opened and now pgured in their 
flre transversely on either flank 
of the struggling mass, while in 
front Brian Ogue and his reap- 
ers fell to the despatch of their 
red work. A moment the raised 
axes, razor-sharp and bright 
glistened in the sun, then fell 
ringing with dry clangor or more 
horribly silent, rising not so 
bright, rising and falling like 
lightning, such a war harvest to 
be reaped, such battle-fury in 
men's hearts, and such an oppor- 
tunity! 

And on the flanks MacDermot 
volleyed transversely, and soon 
his spear-hurlers clutched sword 
and fell on, and the gunmen 
slung the slow calyver, gripped 
swordhilt and did likewise. 

Not long the struggle under 
such conditions. Back rolled the 
vanguard, back on the battle 
where Clifford was ranking his 
men and making his dispositions, 
seeing how matter went in front. 
Back rolled the vanguard, effus- 
ing afar their own panic, back in 
the flrst instance on the forward 
convoy. Here the peasant driv- 
ers cut their wagon traces, 
mounted and ran, and the trains 
of mules and pack horses stam- 
peded, and amid this confusion 
the flying vanguard tumbled into 
through and over the battle, 
while brave Clifford did all that 
man could do to stem the raging 
flood, and MacDermot's prophetic 
soul was justifled by the event. 
He had doubled back the vanguard and 
the flrst convoy upon the battle. And 
the battle too was broken and rolled 
back on the second convoy and the 
rear guard. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

ollffokd's heroic death. 

At this moment a cry arose: "Tht 
President is dead!" The President had 
gone down in the midst of the raging 
flood but he was not killed. His horse 
was shot, and he had fallen. He was 
soon on his feet again roaring com- 
mands and encouragements to his own 
men so far as they were still rational 



2J2 



THE GAEL. 



July, J903. 



beings, endeavoring in vain to restore 
the fight, commanding, entreating, do- 
ing all that a brave man could do. 
"There had not come of the English 
Into Ireland in the latter days a better 
man." 

Seeing the day utterly lost, two of 
his Irish officers, the lieutenant of Cap- 
tain Burlce, name not given, and Sir 
Miler McSweeny urged him to leave 
the field. 

"Overcome with wrath and* 
shame, he declared, Roman-like, 
that he would not overlive that 
day's ignominy. But that affection 
which moved Sir Miler McSweeny 
to use entreties persuaded him 
now to practiz force, by which they 
caryed him from the pursueing 
rebels some few paces, when en- 
raged with the wildness of his men, 
which he often repeated, he brake 
from them in a fury, and turning 
head alone, jnade head to the whole 
troopes of pursuers, in the midst of 
whom when he was stroake 
through the bodye with a bullet* 
he died fighting, consecrating by 
an admyrable resolucion the mem- 
ory of his name to Immortality and 
leaving the example of his virtue 
to be entytuled by all honorable 
po»terities."t 

Yet, even after Clifford's death his 
division or parts, of it rallied and 
fought on. Savage and the rearguard 
managed to keep their ranks while the 
roaring deluge of fiight and panic 
terror raged past them. There was 
tough fighting, or at all events, resist- 
ance of some sort, after the fall of Clif- 
ford, and before the best materials of 
the Queen's host gave way utterly, and 
the rout became universal. 

Savage, I feel sure, played a brave 
part; I should be much surprised if he 
did not, for gallantry was In his blood. 
Four centuries had elapsed since the 
founder of the clan Savage marched 
from Dublin with the great John de 
Courcy and a handful of Norman 
knights and archers to the conquest of 
Ulster, and did conquer Ulster. 

And de Courcy planted the Savage In 
the north of Dal-Aradiat as one of his 
barons, and there for four centuries, 
while houses rose and fell, many a wild 
Btorm of war, Edward Bruce's invasion 
amongst them, broke upon but broke 
not this hardy Norman-Irish clan. 

They were Queen's men now, and 
Sir Arthur was their most distinguish- 
ed representative. He served the Crown 
in honorable posts after this rout in 



•Dymok says by a pike. He was slain 
by a bullet; the pike-thrust was given 
afterwards as the victors ran past. The 
account given by the "Fou» Masters" is 
doubtless correct. Sir Miler lived after- 
wards in Tir-Connall, where he must have 
related to many the exact manner of 
Clifford's death. In Tlr-Connall tlie An- 
nals were written, and quite possibly the 
"Four Masters" knew Sir Miler and 
talked with him. 

tPhlllp O'Sulllvan says that he offered 
these gentlemen great rewards If they 
would see him safe out of the battle, and 
that he fled a considerable distance. This 
Is absurd. Dymok's account is more In 
keeping with all that we know about this 
brave and chivalrous gentleman. 

tCo. Down. 



the Curlews, and behaved with gal- 
lantry and distinction in the Battle of 
Kinsale in 1602.* 

Savage, surely, like Clifford and Rat- 
cliffe, did his best to save the battle, 
but at last all broke and fled, Brian 
Ogue's battle-axes going like smith's 
hammers or the flails of thrashingmen 
on their rear and MacDermot volleying 
from right to left, and all solid com- 
panies getting broken up and swept 
away by the torrents of panic-stricken 
humanity. 

So at last the whole of the Queen's 
host was reduced to chaos, streaming 
madly away, and the Battle of the Cur- 
lew Mountains was fought and lost and 
^on. On rushed the fugitives, disap- 
pearing not too rapidly within that 
half mile of Autumnal forest. The road 
was choked with baggage wagons, pro- 
visions, camp furniture, impedimenta 
of various kinds, and the running mass 
of men collided and jostled against 
each other and the trees, as the Royal- 
ists retraveled these primeval soli- 
tudes, while battle-axe and sword and 
oalyver and pistol played ever on their 
rear. 



CHAPTER XV. 

harkham stkikb8 in with the 
qiteen's horsemen. 

As the runaways emerged from the 
southern fringes of the forest a sight 
was presented flt to recall to a sense of 
shiame and obedience to their captains 
the minds of men not utterly frenzied 
and unmanned by fear. Before them 
if they could see anything for fright 
lay the great brown bog threaded by 
its narrow white road gorse-f ringed, 
and on the road the clear midday sun- 
light glancing from bright morions 
and armor, the Earl of Southampton's 
horse advancing under the command 
of Sir Griffin Markham; quietly, lei- 
surely following Sir Conyers under full 
belief that the passage of the Curlews 
had been forced, riding four or five 
abreast along the road which wound 
through the great bog that intervened 
between the wood and "the barricado 
with double flanks." 

What a spectacle for their brave 
commander when the wood suddenly 
began to spout its rills and torrents of 
wild runaways, kerne, gallowglasses, 
musketeers, common soldiers, and offi- 
cers tumbling out thence id every di- 
rection, falling into peat-holes, and ris- 
ing and running, the better part with- 
out weapons, many tearing off and 
flinging away ^heir armor as they ran. 

Markham, a brave man who had a 
head for war and also an eye in his 
head, at a glance took in the situation 
and decided swiftly on his course. 
When he first witnessed the extraordi- 
nary spectacle far out in front at the 
other side of the great bog, viz., the 
green wood vomiting forth at a hun- 
dred points the whole Royalist army 
which was to have conquered North 
Connacht, he was not far from that 
"barricado with double flanks," and ad- 

•"Pacata HIbernia," last chapters, 
where his name is several times men- 
tioned with honor. 



vancing along the main road which 
swerved so much, stretching across the 
bog like a bent bow. But besides this 
wheel-way there was, as formerly men- 
tioned, another way more direct. 

It was a mere continuity of moder- 
ately firm ground, rocky and furze- 
strewn, solid enough for his purpose, 
which fell in with the main roEui on 
this side of the wood. Quickly taking 
in the situation, he advanced as well as 
he could, and as swiftly, along this 
rough short-cut by which the panic- 
stricken army did not run, and which 
was open to his use. They, poor 
wretches, for the most part, poured 
poured along and on both sides of the 
main road. 

So avoiding that shameful torrent of 
wild humanity, he and his dragoons by 
this short-cut struck in upon the main 
road behind them, between the run- 
aways and the pursuers. Here Mark- 
ham formed his men on the road and 
on both sides of it, the ground being 
flrm enough and charged MacDermot 
and his gunmen^ now disordered in 
pursuit; charged them, and also broke 
them, cutting them down in all direc- 
tions or driving them into the wood 
and far out into the wetnesses of the 
bog. 

Now was the time for Captain 
Burke, Sir Miler McSweeny or some 
other brave and competent officer to 
take charge of that roaring flood of 
ruin, and reorder such of its elements 
as were not utterly demoralized; for 
the pursuit was stayed, and the pur- 
suers in their turn overthrown by 
brave Markham and the cavalry. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

IS COUNTER-CHARGED BY THE OXONIAN. 

Markham's spirited charge gave an 
opportunity of converting the rout in- 
to a victory. MacDermot and his gun- 
men were now shattered and dispersed, 
driven out into the bog on both sides 
of that flrm ground where Markham 
had charged. But now while the Roy- 
alist dragoons rushed along, sabring 
and spearing, their ranks quite disor- 
ordered in pursuit, and while some 
stood firing pistol shots at the gunmen 
out in the bog, Markham and his horse 
came full tilt upon a new and unex- 
pected foe. 

From the wood emerged Brian Ogue 
with his century and a half of heavy- 
armed foot, steady, ranked, in perfect 
order. Fearing the event, Brian Ogue 
kept his gallowglasses well in hand, 
and here, following with slow deliber- 
ate foot in the rear of the kerne, 
emerged to sight. From the green 
forest came to sudden view that for- 
midable phalanx, their shining battle- 
axes now dull enough. 

The Royallat horse were now charg- 
ed in front by Brian Ogue, while Mac- 
Dermot's gunmen closing in from the 
bogs fired transversely through their 
ranks from each side. Markham and 
the horse could not win the battle 
alone. Then as now, horse were no 
match for foot that would keep their 
ranks and decline to be frightened by 
mere show and glitter. 

Charged by Brian Ogue, Markham 



July, Í903 



THE GAEL. 



213 



could not stand the impact of the 
Brenny men. Down tumbled horses 
and their riders to the cleaving of 
Brian Ogue's battle-axes. Markham, 
too, was utterly routed, so routed that 
he lost "all his pennons and guidons." 
Brian Ogue handled the Queen's horse- 
men that day better than I think he 
ever handled Lily's irregular Latin 
verbs at Oxford. 

There was another Oxford man, but 
of the Queen's Irish in this battle, 
Richard Burke, Lord Dunkellin, chief 
designate of the High Burkes. Brian 
Ogue in this melee received two wounds 
one in the hand and another in the 
leg. Markham did not escape without 
receiving some tokens. He had the 
small bone of his right arm broken 
"with the stroke of a bullet and his 
clothes torn by another. 

So the cavalry too broke and fled, fol- 
lowing the fugitives, and again the 
flood of flight and chase rolled down 
the slopes of the Curlews. The guard 
so prudently planted at the barricado 
participated in the disgraceful rout, 
which was perhaps the most remark- 
able example of cowardice in this 
whole ahameful business. 

They were 160 in number and might 
have held the pass for hours against 
any army unprovided with artillery. 
Cliiford had not destroyed the barri- 
cado, but merely opened a passage 
through it. The gap was narrow 
enough for defence and not wide 
enough for the torrent of ruin i^ich 
now sought to pour through. Some 
wiser than the rest clambered over the 
rampart and the bristling palisades. 
Most of the fugitives rushed at the 
open passage and blocked it But for 
the relief afforded by Markham there 
would have been an awful slaughter 
here. 

Of the beaten army the Meath Irish 
fared worst. The great mass of the 
army were Connacht Irish, who were 
well acquainted with the Curlews and 
knew good paths over the bogs and 
through the hills. Many of their offi- 
cers and lords had, I suppose, been 
often here hawking. The Meath Irish 
knew nothing of the country, and so 
thought of nothing aave of rushing 
straight along by the way they came. 
The few English soldiers here shared 
their fate. They were certainly few. 

As we have seen, Bingham had purg- 
ed the Connacht army of Englishmen. 
Bingham meant no slight upon Eng- 
lish valor which was and is as good as 
any in tbe world, but when English re- 
cruits were scarecrows with whom Fal- 
stafi "would not march through Cov- 
entry," "a great many diseased, and 
many mad," what other course was 
possible for Bingham contending* for 
his life and honor against Red Hugh, 
and Granuaile's son, and MacDermot 
of the Curlews, and Brian Ogue and 
divers other fire-breathing dragons of 
the West? 

These timber barriers which the 
Royalists had passed so joyfully that 

•These are the words of the Mayor of 
Chester, who received and forwarded to 
Ireland those astonishing* levies. Even in 
great Eliza's golden time, there was an 
incredible amount of folly at head- 
quarters. 



morning proved now an obstacle to 
their flight Here, those who still kept 
their weapons flung them away, and 
here also quantities of clothes and ar- 
mor were found. The pursuers con- 
sisted only of the 600 fulminators, now 
reduced to less than 400, and Brian 
Ogue's century and a half of gallow- 
glasses. But resistance was never 
tíiought of. 

From the mountains the mingled 
flood of chcuie and panic-flight rolled 
towards the town of Boyle, execution 
never ceasing, for Sir Griffin seems not 
to have been able again to get his cav- 
alry in order. Through the gates of 
Boyle it poured, and kept pouring, till 
the gates had to be closed against the 
foe. 

Red Hugh's lieutenants and their 
warriors encamped that night under or 
not far from the walls, and one of the 
most remarkable battles recorded in 
Irish history came to an end. In war 
there is a great deal of luck, and we 
may observe, too, that scratch armies 
are admirably fltted for the losing of 
battles. 

Here were Meathian Irish and Con- 
nacht Irish — men one might almost de- 
scribe, such was the disjointed state of 
the land, as of different nationalities; 
here veterans of the army of Essex, 
and soldiers drawn from the garrisons; 
here, flnally, were English soldiers 
mixed with Irish, and the Irish for the 
most part not regulars, only the rising- 
out of Meath and Connacht, that is to 
say, the local gentry and their follow- 
ers. Yet the little band of conquerors 
was a scratch army too, so from any 
point of view it must be accounted a 
most glorious victory. 

The battle was won by 600 mus- 
keteers and archers, and a company of 
Breffneian gallowglasses. A very re- 
markable battle in every way; lost to 
the Crown seemingly through the cow- 
ardice of the Royalist vanguard, or 
shall we say, of Henry Cosby, who, we 
may hope, got well killed. In this bat- 
tle there were slain of the Royalists 
one thousand four hundred, no quarter 
being given. MacDermot and Brian 
Ogue lost in killed and wounded only 
240 men. The baggage, standards, etc., 
and nearly all the arms of the invad- 
ing army fell Into the hands of the 
conquerors. 

When in reading Ehiglish history 
we perceive the intense wrath felt in 
London against the ESarl of Essex and 
his conduct of the Irish wars, we must 
remember the sense of imperial hu- 
miliation which was felt at a defeat 
puch as the foregoing sustained under 
his government. The Nine Years' War 
is throughout a wonder, miraculous 
everywhere. From beginning to end 
the insurgent lords only lost one bat- 
tle, the Battle of Klnsale. Yet they 
were beaten! 



CHAPTER XVII. 

CLIFFORD DECAPITATED. 

Brian Ogue, as stated, received two 
bullet wounds during his victorious 
tussle with Markham and the horse. 
He rode or was borne in a litter home- 
wards to the camp along that corpse- 
strewn road. His scratches don't seem 



to have troubled him much. He paused 
as he went, scrutinizing with delibera- 
tion the bodies of those who by their 
superior armor seemed men of rank, 
and which were exhibited to him as he 
passed. Amongst them he was shown 
the familiar features of Sir Conyers 
Clifford, President of Connacht. 

He knew him well. He had been to 
visit him on his flrst coming into his 
Presidentiad, and had only been pre- 
vented from allying himself and his 
Brefineian nation with the Queen's 
cause by the stern menacing attitude 
assumed towards him by Red Hugh. 
He ordered his attendants to behead 
Clifford, and sent the head forward 
as a trophy and token to Red Hug^. 
The decapitation of slain foes was a 
universal custom of the age. Had 
Brian Ogue fallen, Cliftord would have 
decapitated him. 

Among the rows of heads which 
adorned the battlements of Dublin 
Castle at this moment was the tarred 
head of Brian Ogue's own father, the 
brave proud Brian na Murtha. Clif- 
ford's head was forwarded to Red 
Hugh in the north; his body was con- 
veyed south to MacDermot, to the Cas- 
tle of Gaywash, hard by Boyle, where 
MacDermot and his army were now 
encamped. 

I like Brian Ogue and am sorry, cus- 
tom or no custom, that he ordered 
the decapitation of Clifiord. My regret 
has been anticipated by the "Four 
Masters." 

Red Hugh sent a swift detachment 
of horse with Cliftord's head to Col- 
looney. to Nial Garf. his rH)usin in 
command there. Nial Garf, demand- 
ing a parley with the defenders of the 
Castle, informed Sir Donough of the 
defeat of the Royalists, and In proof 
of the statement exhibited the head 
of the slain general. That was 
enough. Sir Donough gave up Col- 
looney, and himself and its defenders 
as prisoners without demanding terms 
for his condition was desperate. 

Shortly after Red Hugh himself ap- 
peared upon the scene, and held a long 
colloquy with his captive. The result 
of this conference was that Sir Don- 
ough undertook to transfer his allegi- 
ance from the Queen to Red Hugh, and 
to hold all Sligo from him on the same 
terms that his ancestors used to hold 
it ft-om Red* Hugh's ancestors. Hu^ 
reinvested him In the lordship of 
Sligo, presented him with horses, ca/t- 
tle, sheep, ploughs and all manner of 
farm instruments, and even with a 
population, so that in a short time the 
wasted kt)ld became once again an in- 
habited, industrious and well-settled 
principality. 

Red Hugh gave him what the Crown 
flrst would not, and then could not 
give him, viz., the estates of his an- 
cestors. Hugh .took his hostages and 
thenceforward directed all his motions 
I may add that subsequently, when 
troubles began to close round the 
young chief of Tir-Connall, Sir Don- 
ough took to intriguing anew with the 
Queen's party , and Red Hugh had to 

•One was that three bards, all nomi- 
nated in the deed, should satirize the 
party who first broke contract. Modem 
times were coming but had not yet come. 

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imprison Sir Donough, and raise his 
brother to the chieftaincy. 

Granuaile's son, Burke the Marine, 
long rocking Idly before the ruins of 
Siigo Gagrtle, weighed anchor and sail- 
ed with all his lime, cannons and pro- 
visions. I dare say he annexed them, 
for 1 find that he now transferred his 
allegiance to the victorious Red Hugh. 
The land Burke having watched grim- 
ly the sinking sails of his cousin, 
marched back to his pricipality of 
Mayo, ruling and regulating there as 
Red Hugh's MacWilliam. 

Released from his formidable op- 
ponent, ClifTord, Red Hugh resumed 
his operations speedily, made himself 
virtual master of Connacht, and medi- 
tated now the overthrow of Thomond 
and the O'Briens. 



CHAPTER XVni. 

MAC DIERMOT'S I^TIN IBTTI^R. 

As mentioned, the headless body of 
the President was carried southwards 
to MacDermot. The treatment which 
it received at his hands will be per- 
ceived from the following curious let- 
ter, despatched probably a day or two 
after the battle, by that chieftain, to 
the Constable of Boyle. It fell Into the 
hands of Sir John Harrington, and 
was published by him in his "Nugae 
Antiquse." It is by him "censured" 
justly enough, to be "barbarous for the 
Latyn, but cyvill for the sence": 
"Conestabularlo de Boyle salu- 
tem: 

"Scias quod ego traduxi corpus 
gubernatoris ad monasteriu Sanc- 
tae Trinitatis propter ejus dilec- 
tionem. et alia de causa. Sivelitis 
mihi redlre meos captlvos ex prae- 
dicto corpore quod paratus sum ad 
conferendum vobis ipsum; alias 
sepultaus erit honeste in predicto 
monasterio et sic vale, scriptu apud 
Oaywasli, 15 August, 1599; interim 
pone bonu linteamentum ad prae- 
diotum corpus, et si velitis sepel- 
ire omnes alios nobiles non impe- 
diam vos erga eos. 

"Mac Dermon." 
Probable translation of the forego- 
ing: 

"To the Constable of Boyle, greet- 
ing: 

"Know that I have surrendered the 
body of the Governor to the Monas- 
tery of the Holy Trinity, on account 
of his command and for other cause. 
If you wish to restore me my captives 
in return for the aforesaid body, I am 
ready to confer with you in person. 
In any case, he will be honorably in- 
terred in the aforesaid monastery. So 
fare thee well. 

"Written at Gay wash, August 15, 
1599. 

"In the meantime wrap (I have 
wrapped) a good shroud round the 
aforeraid body, and if you wish to 
bury all the other nobles. I will not 
Interfere with your doing fo." 

Note the aristocratic feeling ex- 
pressed here: MacDermot p-^e-ns to 
think that the Constable would only be 
at the pains of burying the bodies of 
the gentlemen. The "redire tneoft cap- 
iiio«'' Is funny enough, but the letter 



is the letter of a soldier and a gentle- 
man. 

Dymok adds the following, which 
has some interest, though inconsider- 
able. 

"By this lettre is too truly inter- 
preted a trDublesome dream of the 
Governor's, which he had about a 
years before uiis defeat, when be- 
ing awakened by his wife out of 
an unquiet sleepe, he recounted un- 
to her thta he thought himself to 
have been taken prisoner by 
O'Donnell, and that certen reli- 
gious men of compassion conveyed 
him into their monastery, where 
they concealed him. And so indeed, 
as he dreamed, or rather prophe- 
sied, the monastery hath his body, 
worlde his fame, and his friends 
the want of his virtue." 



A Veteran Raiment. 

VETERANS of the Ninth Regiment 
Connecticut Volunteers are en- 
gaged in the very laudable en- 
deavor of raising funds for a monu- 
ment which will perpetuate the valor 
and patriotism of the gallant Ninth, 
a Connecticut regiment composed al- 
most exclusively of Irishmen and sons 
of Irishmen, which during the Civil 
War bore the brunt of many a hard 
fought fight in defending the flag and 
maintaining the integrity of the Union. 

Arrangements are being made for 
the publication of a history of the regi- 
ment. Of the 1,606 men who enlisted 
in this command, less than 100 are 
alive this day. 

It Is proposed to erect the monument 
at Bay View Park, the old camp 
ground of the regiment, on Howard 
Avenue, New Haven. August 5th next 
has been designated as the date of un- 
veiling. Invitations to attend the cere- 
monies have been accepted by the rep- 
resentatives of the State and nation. 
The American-Irish Historical Society 
will hold a special meeting in New 
Haven on that date and will partici- 
pate in the services of the unveiling. 

Taking part in the parade and other 
ceremonies will be the G. A. R.. several 
companies of the Connecticut National 
Guard, and detachments of the Naval 
Battalion, with a number of civic so- 
cieties. It will be a fete day in New 
Haven, and thousanés of visitors will 
be present. In view of the magnificent 
demonstration now made certain, the 
committee anticipate an increased ex- 
penditure, and has enlarged upon Its 
plans. 

This will be the first regimental 
monument to be erected in the city of 
New Haven, commemorative of the 
stirring deeds of '61. The occasion will 
be one of the most memorable In the 
history of the city for many years. It 
is urged that all who desire to aid in 
the furtherance of the movement 
should do so promptly. 

Remittances may be sent to the 
Treasurer. Mr. James F. Brennan. P. 
O. Box 589, New Haven. Conn. 

Hon. James P. Pigott is Chairman, 
Dr. T. W. Cahlll vice-presido^t. Hon. 
James P. Bree secretary and James F. 
Brennan treasurer. 



Parish Libraries* 

MR. THOMAS O'DONNELL, M. P., 
has sent a circular letter to each 
of the 1,500 members of the 
teachers' organization in Ireland point- 
ing out to them the fact that Rural 
District Councils in Ireland now arc 
empowered to levy a rate of Id in the 
£ for the purpose of establishing parish 
libraries. 

There is no need for buildings nor 
for librarians' salaries. The schools 
will hold the libraries and the teachers 
control them. Mr. O'Donnell urges 
that the Act should be immediately 
and generally put into operation. 



Mr. ^'Willie^^ Redmond. 

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND, M. P., 
who was forty- two last month, 
has spent twenty years of his 
life in Parliament. He enjoys the rare 
distinction of having represented con- 
stituencies in three of the four Irish 
provinces. He sat for Wexford, in 
Leinster, in 1883; for Fermanagh, in 
Ulster, in 1886; and he has represented 
Elast Clare, in Munster. since 1892. 

Mr. Redmond was in prison for his 
opinions before he was in Parliament, 
and he has been there twice since. He 
was in Kilmainham with Mr. Parnell 
when Mr. Foster was at Dublin Castle: 
he was in Wexford prison in the "Plan 
of Campaign" days; and a second term 
in Kilmainham terminated only re- 
cently. In the midst of his political 
activities he found time to become a 
barrister-at-law and to go on a shoot- 
ing trip in the Australian Bush, about 
which he has published a little book. 



To Kitty. 

IT'S the plague o' me life ye are, 
Kitty, dear Kitty, 
For whin I would call ye me beau- 
tiful star, 
"An* am I a star?" it's yer quick 

tongue that answers, 
"Why I'm miles then above ye, och 
Iver so far!" 

It's the light o' me life ye are, Kitty, 

dear Kitty, 
When I look on the ocean an' call ye 

me pearl. 
Sez you, "Is it wather that's taken yer 

llkin'? 
Ye'll git plenty nate, fishin' there for 

a girl." 

It's the love o' me life ye are, Kitty. 

dear Kitty, 
An' still when I call ye me treasure of 

gold, 
"Is it gold that I am?" sez you, "shure 

that wants gittin' 
An' care in the keepln' as well, so I'm 

told." 

It's me queen that ye've always been. 

Kitty, dear Kitty. 
An' sleepin', an' wakin', me thoughts 

are wid you, 
So now then for better or worse will 

ye take me? 
Is yer tongue for once silent? Yer lips 

dear, 'will do! 

—ANGELA HOPE. 



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THE GAEL. 



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'^^■Ma^ 



The Death of Labhradh (Lora)» 

By Thomas Dunne English. 



[The name of the wicked prince in this legend is arbitrary, 
though the ancient Irish had an Ard Righ (high king, or emperor) 
thus called. Of the latter is told, with some variations, the tale of 
Midas. The story was caught probably from some traveled monk 
in the days when Ireland stood pre-eminent in classical as well as 
theological learning, and it became Altered through the peas- 
ants' sieve. This Labhradh Loingseach—Ltora. Lonsnach of the 
common tongue (Leary?)— was gifted with a pair of horse's, not 
ass's, ears. The barber relieved his mind of the awful secret 
not by whispering it to a hole in the ground, but into a split 



PROUDLY arose Cnocflrixm's height, at that time ctothed 
with trees, 
Whose many leaves showed light or dark, synchronic 
with the breeze. 
A castle stood upon its crown — now lie Its ruins low — 
But that was in the olden time, twelve hundred years ago. 

And there the cruel Lora reigned, the king of all that land; 
No trace of justice in his heart, no mercy in his hand; 
To noble high, or peasant low, denying ruth or right: 
Black be his memory, Lnra-na-Ard, tne tyrant of the height! 

His wrath the worst on Cormac fell — on CJormac of the 

Glen; 
His hate for him was twice of that he felt for other men — 
His cousin Cormac, rightful heir, whose crown usurped he 

wore. 
Who Glann-a-dord alone retained of all he held before. 

But naught for sway did Cormac long; a noble, shunning 

strife; 
His greatest treasures, children, twain and Amarach his 

wife — 
Oscur, his son, a stripling tall, of proud and noble air, 



which he made in a willow. Of this the king's musician chanced 
to make a harp that treacherously, at a public festival, uttered 
the barber's words, "Do Chluais Cappal at Labhradh LÍdmfeaeh** 
TJLi^" i^rS* Loiishach has horse's ears. As for Donn, called 
FinncocA-the teller of truth-from the invariable fulflliiient of 
his predictions, he may be sel down as an Irish Thomas the 
Rhymer. His idenUty is not fixed. Sometimes he is called a 
local fairy king, and sometimes set down as a son of Milesius. 
the conqueror of Ireland, who has taken up his residence in a 
rocky hill, waiting until the country recovers its nationality.] 



And Niav— right well Fiongalla* called— the innocent and 
fair. 

Long time had Lora set his eyes on daughter and on land; 

To wrest the last, to wreck the first, a deadly scheme he 
planned: 

For tempting from his lofty towers, in all jrts pride com- 
plete. 

Was Glann-a-dord, its woods and fields^— and Niav was 
young and sweet. 

So when one morning Niav went forth with handmaids In 

her train. 
As was her wont, to taste the air that swept the dewy plain. 
There sudden from behind a knoll rode gallowglasses base. 
Who rudely seized the lady fair and bore her from the place. 

The gallowglasses of the king their saffron jerkins showea, 
And to the summit of the hill the vile marauders rode. 
The royal rath they entered, and with victory elate. 
With shouts their lovely prize they bore within the castle 
gate: 



•Fair-Cheek 

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July, Í903. 



Her brother heard her piteous flhrieks, and snatching spear 

and brand. 
Sprang light of foot up rock and cliff to intercept the bana; 
But only gained the castle gates to find them closed to him, 
And at a wicket, sheltered well, the warder old and grim. 

"What do you here?" the warder cried, "with spear ana 

glaive displayed, 
Our royal lord no comer brooks In hostile guise arrayed. 
Begone, rash boy, or dread his wrath!" '"Tis Lora's self 

I seek. 
Where skulks this coward king of yours, oppressor of the 

weak?" 

Oped at the words the castle gates, and poured the wretches 

forth. 
The vile assassin kerns well armed, the hirelings from the 

North. 
The first went down before the sword, two others followed 

fast; 
But all too many they for one, who, wounded, fell at last. 

They haled him soon where Lora sat, and grimly said the 

king. 
"For this, at dawn, before yt)ur house, on gallows-tree you 

swing; 
And for the treason that is bred in nest at Glann-a-dord, 
Tour father's lands are forfeited unto his sovereign lord!" 

Ill news will travel fast; and hence, ere quite an hour had 

flown, 
A mother's heart was throbbing quick, a mother's voice 

made moan; 
A white-haired father bent in grief, all pride and state laid 

by, 
Hs only son, his hope, his pride, next morn was doomed 

to die. 

Amid their grief the sunset fell, the hour was growing late. 
When .came a tattered beggar there, and rapped upon the 

gate. 
"I am," said he, "the poorest man among the sons of men; 
God save ye kindly, give me bed .and supper at the Glen." 

"Alas, poor man," a servant said, "seek not for shelter hem; 
Avoid a liouse upon whose roof there falls such g.Mef and 

fea-." 
"Nay, nay." said Oormac; "spurn him not! Whatever be 

our woes. 
No man. in need, while yet I rule, from hence unsuccored 

goes." 

They let the beggar in the gate, they set him at the board. 
Where some one told him of the doom that hung on Glann- 

a-dord. 
"Oh, ftha gu dheinef"* said 'he then. "But Oscur shall not 

die: 
Not his, but Lora's race is run, / say, who cannot lie!" 

The night bad passed, the dawn was there, no cloud upon 
the sky; 

And soon they raise before the door the ghastly gallows 
high; 

And soon with mournful sound of horns the sad proces- 
sion shows — 

The troops of Jjora on the march, and Oscur bound with 
those. 

Came forth the beggar with his hosts, and with scarce- 
hidden laugh. 

Exclaimed in measured accents, as he leaned upon his staft: 

"I.ASt night there was no banshee's cry, that ever death 
portends; 

Take comfort, gracious Bhan-a-teagh, f the right the right 
defends!" 



He gazes on the gloomy tree, then looks revengeful round. 
When Amarach, with tottering steps, approaches wliere 

he stands, 
And on her knees for mercy begs with high uplifted hands. 

"The boy shall die!" the monarch said, "so treaaoa may 

be checked. 
And vassals tau^t their sovereign's will to hold in due 

respect." 
"Tou err, O king," the beggar said; "not he, but you shall 

die. ^ 

I say it, I, Donn Firineach, the one who cannot lie!" 

"Peace, fool!" replied the king. "And learn, O Cormac, to 

your cost. 
Tour son his life and you the lands of Glann-a-dord have 

lost. 
But as for Niav, my leman she, to grace my palace hall/ 
'-Thou liest, king!" the beggar said. "She has escaped thy 

thrall." 

"Now who are you?" the monarch cried, "who dares to 

wake my wrath? 
Far better in the woodland stand within the wild woITb 

path. 
Vile beggar-churl, this insolence to-day you well shall me. 
The tree which they have reared for one^ has room enougli 

for two!" 

A noise as though the lightning-stroke a thunder-cloud 

had kissed, 
Cuocflrinn opened at its base, poured forth a cloud of misc. 
Impetuous over rock and mead in mighty mass it rolled. 
And hid the beggar from their sight within its silver fold. 

All stood appalled. What sign is this? Now guard ub. 

Holy Rood! 
Closer the cloud of mist advanced to where the monarca 

stood; 
An arm in glittering mail came forth, a hand that bore a 

glaive; 
It rose in air, then sweeping down, the head of Lora clave. 

Then shrank the cloud away, dispersed, and showed a glit- 
tering ring 

OC warriors bold in green and gold, and at their head their 
king — 

Beggar no more — Donn Firineach, who one time ruled the 
land; 

And to her sire the LAdy Niav he led with kindly hand. 

"From my deep sleep in yonder hill," he said, "I heard 
your woe, 

And came to raise the humbled right, and wrong to over- 
throw. 

There lies th,e tyrant's worthless corse; inearth the soul- 
less clay. 

King Cormac has his own again, and none shall say him 
uay." 

His green-clad aoldiers formed in rank; they marchea 

toward the hill; 
The awe-struck throng in wonder stood, their breathing 

low and still, 
Cnocfirinn opened wide its base; the green elves entered 

there; 
It closed; and rock and clift around again were gray and 

bare. 

Then Joy was In the people's cup, o'erflowing at the brim; 
For Cormac ruled o'er Munster wide, and Oscur followed 

him; 
And Niav, before a year had gone, her young heart fairly 

wen. 
Was Queen of Ulster in the North, and bride of Nessa's son. 



Proud Lora prances on his steed, and lightly leaps to 
ground : 

«Is that so? 
tVanlthee (vulg, dict.)-4. e., woman of the house. 




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THE GAEL. 



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^^^s 





Ossíaníc and Other Early Legends* 




ÍT never entered the head of the 
I glorious author of the Iliad, or 
' its separate rhapsodies, to pub- 
lish his work by subscription; or 
sell his copyright to the Long- 
mans, or the Murray, or the 
Macmillan of Ephesus or Ath- 
ens; such literary patrons did 
not exist in his day. 

He recited it in the theatre or 
the agora, and was well or ill- 
requited. So no Irish Bolg an 
Uiina (wallet of poems) in the 
good old times, with a new 
work ready for issue, would walk 
into Luimneach, or PortloArge, or Baile- 
athaeliaih* with his manuscript in his 
Fcrip, and make arrangement for its 
publication. 

He betook himself to the hall of king 
or chief, or to the Fair of Tailtean, and 
recited his production to an excitable 
crowd. If the subject was a fine-spun 
treatise in narrative, a la Balzac, on 
the physiology of marriage, or the 
long-enduring woes of a la-dy not ap- 
preciated by her coarsely-moulded hus- 
band, or the tortures of a man of fash- 
ion who longs for a divorce, he would 
soon detect a portion of his -constltu- 
eWts yawning, and the rest striving to 
escape from the uninteresting lecture. 
But our sixth or ninth century-man 
knew better. He was a poet or story- 
teller of the first or second order: and 
if he h«d lately invented nothing new, 
he rattled on with a siege, a burning, 
a battle, an adventure in a cavern, a 
search over land and sea for some 
priceless commodity, a love-chase, a 
war between the Ard-Righ at Teamor 
and one of his petty kings, or an ad- 
venture of the Flanna in some strong- 
hold of the Danaan Druids, where they 
underwent spells, and at last found an 
unexpected deliverance. 

Sometimes it was a coward-hero, 
who endured troubles and terrors for 
a whole night in a strange castle, and 
in the morning found himself uncom- 
fortably shivering in a ditch. Occa- 
sionally a wife was false, and the strife 
waged by the wronged husband against 
faithless spouse and lover furnished a 
theme. But the poet chiefly dwelt on 
the hairbreadth escapes of the false 
fair, and the wonderful adventures that 
befell all parties, ema made no attempt 
to prove marriage an unjust and tyran- 

•Llmerick, Waterford, or Dublin. 



nical institution, or to show the bless- 
ings that would hallow a cheap system 
of divorce. 

There is no pressing need of pity or 
contempt for the childish taste pos- 
sessed by the kings, and chiefs, and 
frankHns of old in common with their 
wives and daughters. There was no 
such thing as learned leisure for any 
of the conditions of humanity men- 
tioned, no sitting in comfortably fur- 
nished libraries, reading the last quar- 
terly, monthly, or weekly. 

The king was leading his troops to 
battle, heading them in the strife, oi 
devising measures with his Ollamhs or 
Flleas for the better or worse govern- 
ment of his province. The chief had 
a less extent of land and fewer indi- 
viduals to attend to. but his life also 
was fully occupied at the proper busi- 
ness of his chief tancy, or in the battle 
or chase. 

The grazier had his land and his 
cattle to look after, and queens, chief- 
tainesses, and graziers' wives found 
the hours too short for the well ad- 
ministering of their households. A 
late dinner or early supper put an end 
to the daily cares, and the poets in the 
early times, and the prose story-tellei 
later on, helped men and women to 
forget their own cares for two or three 
hours by their wondrous recitals. 

Would it have been a wise measure 
on the part of the story-teller to relate 
a narrative having the same relation 
to the state of existing society as the 
modern novel has to our own? Not at 
all. If he drew a faithful picture of 
the common life of the time, he would 
find his noble audience yawning or go- 
ing to sleep. 

Every one had come to be interested 
or electrified; every one's expectations 
were enhanced by those of his neigh- 
bors. So the grand, the terrible, the 
deeply affecting, and occasionally the 
ludicrous, must be presented. The ear- 
liest subjects of our old bards were the 
real events of days then ancient, the 
exploits of the ancestors of the nob^ 
chiefs or kings before them, all of 
course magnified by the glowing me- 
dium of romance and poetry through 
which they were presented. 

The readers of the tales here collect- 
ed are necessarily unconscious of the 
pleasure which the recitals of the ori- 
ginals gave the Irish-speaking listen 



ers of former days. For this there is 
no remedy. The tales are given, not so 
much for their Intrinsic merit as for 
their value as literary curiosities— 
relics of the social usages of a people 
whose circumstances, aspirations, and 
tastes were as different as they well 
could be from those of their living de- 
scendanta 

An arohseological artist may have it 
in his power to present us with a good 
idea of the outer man of an ancient 
Celt. If it were given to us to overhear 
the conversation of the same Celt and 
a few of his neighbors on some phases 
of their ordinary life, we should ob-^ 
tain a glimpse of his character, his 
likings, his disliklngs and his tastes. 
As this Is out of the question, we ,mu8t 
content ourselves with such knowledge 
as the stories to which he listened in 
his hours of relaxation can afford. 

Most welcome to the audiences of 
kings or chiefs* halls were the wild 
stories of the Fiann<i Eirionn, or 
Heroes of Ireland, some of whom really 
flourished in the third century of the 
Christian era. 

In the following tales it will be seen 
that both chess and hurling were 
among the amusements of the Fenian 
chieftains. 

THE BNCHANTMEiNT OP GEAROIDH 
lARLA. 

In old times in Ireland there was a 
great man of the Fltzgeralds. The 
name on him wa« Gerald, but the 
IrtPh. that always had a great liking 
for the family, called him Qearoidh 
JnrUi (Earl Gerald). He had a great 
castle or rath at Mullaghmast, and 
whenever ihe English government 
were striving to put some wrong on 
the country, he was always the man 
that stood up for it. Along with being 
a great leader in a flght, and very skil- 
ful at all weapons, he was deep In the 
Wack art, and could change himself in- 
to whatever shape he pleased. His 
lady knew that he had this power, and 
often asked him to let her into some 
of his secrets, but he never would 
gratify her. 

She wanted particularly to see him 
in some strange shape, but he put her 
off and off on one pretence or other. 
But she wouldn't be a woman if she 
hadn't perseverance; and so at last he 
let her know that if she took the least 
fright Y^^^^ he'd be out of his natural 



218 



THE GAEL. 



July, J903 



form, he would never recover it till 
many generations of men would be un- 
der the mould. 

•*0h! she wouldn't be a fit wife for 
Gearoidh larla If she could be easily 
frightened. Let him but gratify her in 
this whim, and he'd see what a hero 
she was!" So one beautiful Summer 
evening, as they were sitting in their 
grand drawing-room, he turned his 
face away from her, and muttered 
some words, and while you'd wink he 
was clever and clean out of sight, and 
a lovely goldfinch was flying about the 
room. 

The lady, as courageous as she 
thought herself was a little startled, 
but she held her own pretty well, es- 
pecially when he came and perched on 
her shoulder, and shook his wings, and 
put his little beak to her lips, and 
whistled the delightfullest tune you 
ever heard. Well, he flew in circles 
round the room, and played hide and 
go seek with his lady, and flew out 
into the garden, and flew back again, 
and lay down in her lap as if he was 
asleep, and jumped up again. 

Well, when the thing had lasted long 
enough to satisfy both, he took one 
flight more Into the open air; but by 
my word he was soon on his return. 
He flew right into his lady's bosom, 
and the next moment a fierce hawk 
was after him. 

The wife gave one loud scream, 
^though there was no need, for the wild 
bird came In like an arrow, and struck 
against a table with such force that the 
life was dashed out of him. She turn- 
ed her. eyes from his quivering body 
to where she saw the goldfinch an In- 
stant before, but neither goldfinch nor 
Earl Garret did she ever lay eyes on 
again. 

Once every seven years the Earl 
rides round the Curragh of Kildare on 
a steed, whose silver shoes were half 
an Inch thick the time he disappeared; 
and when these shoes are worn as thin 
as a cat's ear, he will be restored to 
the society of living men, fight a great 
battle with the English, and reign 
King of Ireland for two score years. 

Himself and his warriors are now 
sleeping in a long cavern under the 
Rath of Mullaghmast. There Is a table 
running along through the middle of 
the cave. The Earl Ifi sitting at the 
head, and his troopers down along In 
complete armor both sides of the table, 
and their heads resting on it. Their 
horses, saddled and bridled, are 
standing behind their masters In their 
stalls at each side; and when the day 
comes, the miller's son that's to be 
born with six fingers on each hand, 
win blow his trumpet, and the horses 
will stamp and whinny, and the 
knights awake and mount their steeds, 
and go forth to battle. 

Some night that happens once In 
every seven years, while the Earl is 
riding round the Curragh, the entrance 
may be seen by any one chancing to 
pass by. About a hundred years ago, 
a horse-dealer that was late abroad 
and a little drunk, saw the lighted 
cavern, and went in. The lights, and 
the stillness, and the sight of the men 
in armor cowed him a good deal, and 



he became sober. His hands began to 
tremble, and he let fall a bridle on the 
pavement. 

The sound of the bit echoed through 
the long cave, and one of the warriors 
that was next him lifted his head a 
little, and said in a deep hoarse voice: 
"Is it time yet?" He had the wit to 
say: "Not yet, but soon will," and the 
heavy helmet sunk down on the table. 
The horse-dealer made the best of his 
way out, and I never heard of any 
other one getting the same opportu- 
nity. 

The terrible superstition of the 
lAanan Righe dates, as we here find, 
from an early period. 

It was the fate of those mortals who 
loved, and were beloved by, women of 
the Sighe people, that they could not 
be freed from the connection unless 
with the entire consent of their way- 
ward mistresses. In Illustration of the 
system, we subjoin the very old le- 
gend of 

ILI.AN EACHTACH AND THE 
LIANAN. 

Ulan was a friend of Fion, and was 
willing to become more Intimately con- 
nected with him by marrying his aunt 
Tuirrean. It had come to Flon's ears 
that Ulan was already provided with a 
Sighe-love, so he secured the fate of 
his aunt In this wise. He put her hand 
into that of Oisin, .who intrusted her 
to Caoilté, who intrusted her to Mac 
Luacha, etc.*; and thus she passed un- 
der the guardianship of Diarmaid, Goll 
Mac Morna, another Luacha, and so 
Into the arms of Ulan. 

Her married life was happy for a 
while, but it did not please the Sighe, 
Uchtdealbh (Fair Bosom) that her mor- 
tal lover should be happy in any so- 
ciety but her own. So she paid her a 
visit In the absence of her husband, 
and invited her out,, as she wished to 
give her an important message from 
Fion, relative to a feast he wanted to 
have prepared. 

Being safe from the eyes of the 
household, she muttered some words, 
and drawing a druldic wand from un- 
der her mantle, she struck her with it, 
and changed her into the most beauti- 
ful wolf-hound that eyes ever beheld. 
She then took her to the house of 
Feargus Fionnliath, on the shore of 
the Bay of Galway. 

Ulan, hearing on his return that his 
wife had gone out with a strange wo- 
man, and had not since been seen, 
guessed that Fair Bosom had disposed 
of her In some way, and began to 
tremble for the result. It was not long 
arriving. Fion, missing his aunt, de- 
manded her safe in life and limb at 
the hands of Oisin, who demanded her 
from Caoilté, who demanded her from 
Mac L/uacha, etc., till Luacha, the sec- 
ond, demanded from Illan the person 
of his wife in good health, or his own 
head. Illan acknowledged the justice of 
the request, and merely demanded a 
few days' grace. 

He at once set forward to the palace- 
cavern of his SigTie, andobtained his 
wish, but on the pure condition of be- 
ing faithful to her till his death, and 
never more seeking mortal mistress or 



wife. She then sought out Tuirrean. 
and bringing her to aome distance 
from Fergus' rath, restored her to her 
pristine shape, and then delivered her i 
over to her nephew. Luacha the sec- 
ond, the last of the suretiea, repre- 
sented to the great chief that the least 
recompense he could make him for the 
terror ho had experienced, was the 
hand of the restored beauty, and Fion 
gave his gracious consent to this sec- 
ond espousals of his aunt. 

During the lady's transformation 
»he brought to the world the two cele- 
brated hounds Brann and Sceoluing. 
Fair Bosom was willing to give them 
the human shape when she restored it 
to their mother, but Fion preferred 
them to remain as they were. 

THE QUEEN WITH THE SPECKL.EO 
DAGGER. 

Fion son of Cumhall was one day 
separated from his knights as they 
were engaged at the chase, and came 
out on a wide grassy plain that 
stretched along the sea strand. There 
he saw the twelve sons of Ba\x>r 8cul- 
loge playing at coriMLn (hurling), and 
wonderful were the strokes they gave 
the ball, and fleeter than the wind 
their racing after it. 

As Fion approached they ceased 
their sport, and all coming forward 
hailed him as the protector of the 
wronged, and the defender of the isl- 
and against the white strangers. "If 
you like to amuse yourself, Fion son 
of Cumhall," said the chief of one 
party, "take my coman, and pull down 
the vanity of our opponents." 

"I would do your party no honor 
with this toy," said Fion, taking the 
com<in between his finger and thumb. 

"Let that not disturb you," said the 
hurling chief. So he pulled up a 
neanihog (nettle), and muttering a 
charm over it. and changing it thrice 
from one hand to the other, it became 
a weapon fitting for the hand of the 
son of Cumhall. It was worth a year 
of idle life to see the blows struck by 
the chief, and hear the terrible heavy 
sound as the comart met the ball, and 
drove it out of sight. 

And there was Cosh Lua (fleet foot) 
to pursue the flying globe and bring it 
back. 

"My hand to you," said the eldest 
boy. "I never saw hurling till now." 

Flon's party won the first game, and 
while they were resting for the second 
a boat neared the land, and a man 
sprung out and approached the party. 

"Hall, very noble and courageous 
chief!" said he, addressing Fion. "My ' 
lady, the Queen of Sciana Breaca, lays 
on you penjia. binding on every Cur- 
adh, that you come forthwith to visit 
her in her island. She is persecuted 
by the powerful witch Chluas Haistig 
(flat ear), and she has been an vised to 
call on you for help." 

"Perhaps In vain," said Fion. "I can 
find out from the gift of the Salmon of 
Wisdom what is passing in any part 
of the island, but I am unprovided 
with charms against witchcraft." 

"Let not that be a hindrance," said 
the eldest boy of Bawr Sculloge, Orune 
Ceanavalthai ycyifil: bearded man): 
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July, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



219 



**my two brothers, Bechunach (thief), 
and Chluas Ouillin (Guillln's ears), and 
myself will go with you. We were not 
born yesterday." 

He took two hazel twigs in his hand; 
and when they came to the edge of the 
water, one became a boat and the other 
a mast He steered; one brother man- 
aged the sail, the other baled out the 
water, and so they sailed till they came 
to the harbor of the island, and there 
the helmsman secured the boat to a 
post with a year's security. 

They visited the Queen, and were 
hospitably treated, and after they were 
refreshed with the best of food and 
liquor she explained her trouble. 

"I had two fair children, and when 
each was a year old it fell sick, and on 
the third night was carried away by 
the wicked sorceress Chluas Haiatig, 
My youngest, now a twelve-month old, 
haB spent two sick nights. This night 
she will surely carry him away unless 
you or your young friends prevent 
her." 

When the darkness came, Flon and 
the three brothers took their station 
in the room of the sick child; Grune 
and Bechunach played at chess, Chluas 
Guillin watched, and Flou reclined on 
a couch. Vessels full of Spanish wine, 
Greek honey (mead), and Danish beer 
were laid on the table. The two chess 
players were intent on their game, the 
watcher kept his senses on the strain, 
and a druidic sleep seized on the son 
of Cumhail. 

Throe times he made mighty efforts 
to keep awake, and thrice he was over- 
come by powerful weariness. The 
brothers smiled at his defeat, but left 
bim to repose. Soon the watcher felt 
a chill shiver run over him, and the 
infant began to moan. A feeling of 
horror seized on the three boys, and a 
thin, long hairy arm was seen stealing 
down the opening above the fire. 
Though the teeth of Chluas Ouillin 
were chattering with terror, he sprung 
forward, seized the hand, and held it 
Arm. 

A violent effort was made by the pow- 
erful witch sprawling on the roof to 
draw it away, but in vain. Another, 
and then another, and down it came 
across the body of Chluas Guillin. A 
deadly faintness came over him, the 
chess-players ran to his aid, and when 
his senses returned, neither child nor 
arm was to be seen. They looked at 
each other in dismay, but in a moment 
Chluas cried: 

"Orutie, take your arrows, you. 
Rcchunach, your cord, and let us pur- 
sue the cursed Druidess." 

In a few minutes they were at the 
mooring post, and away in their boat 
they went as fleet as the driving gale, 
till the enchanted tower of the witch 
came in sight. It seemed built with 
strong upright bars of iron, with the 
spaces between them filled by iron 
plates. A pale blue flame went out 
fron^ it on every side, and it kept turn- 
ing, turning and never stood at rest. 

As soon as the boat approached 
Chluas began to mutter charms in 
verse, and to raise and sink his arms 
with the palms downwards. He called 
on his gods to bring a mighty sleep on 
the evil dweller within, and cause the 



tower to cease its motion. It was done 
according to his incantation, and 
Rechunach taking his cord-ladder and 
giving it an accurate and very power- 
ful heave. It caught on the pike of the 
steep circular roof, and up he sprung 
fleeter than the wild cat of the woods. 

Looking in through the opening, he 
beheld the dread woman lying on the 
floor weighed down with the magic 
sleep, the floor stained with the blood 
which was still flowing from her torn 
shoulder, and the three children cry- 
ing, and striving to keep their feet 
out of It. 

Descending into the room he soothed 
them, and one by one he conveyed 
them through the opening, down the 
knotted cords, and so into the boat, 
llie power of the spell ceasing as soon 
as the boat began to shoot homewards, 
the tower began again to whirl, and 
the witch's shriek came over the 
waves. It was so terrible that if 
Chluas had not covered the heads of 
the children with a thick mantle, their 
souls would have left their bodies with 
terror. 

A dark form was seen gliding down 
the building, and the dash of an oar 
was heard from the witch's corrach, 
which was soon in swift pursuit. 

"Draw your bowstring to your ear, 
O Grutie" said Chluas, "and preserve 
your renown." He waved his arms and 
said his spells, and light proceeding 
from his finger-ends, illumined the 
rough, dark, foam-crested waves for 
many a fathom behind them. 

The hellish woman and her corrach 
were coming fleet as thought behind, 
but the light had not rested on the 
fearful flgure and face a second mo- 
ment when were heard the shrill twang 
of a bowstring, and the dull stroke of 
the arrow in her breast Corrach and 
rower sunk in the waters; the magic 
light from Chluas' hands vanished, 
but a purple-red flame played over the 
spot where the witch had gone down 
till the boat was miles ahead. 

As they approached the harbor, the 
landing-place and all around were 
lighted up with numberless torches 
held in the hands of the anxious peo- 
ple; the sight of the three children 
and their three deliverers made the 
sky ring with cheers of gladness. 

At the entrance of the fort they met 
the mother and her attendants, and 
the joy at the sight of the recovered 
children gave them is not to be told. 
Fion had awakened at the moment of 
the witch's destruction, and was found 
walking to and fro In high resentment 
against himself. He knew by his 
druidic knowledge that the children 
were safe on their return, and cheered 
the Queen with the glad news, and thus 
the people had been waiting at the 
mooring point. 

Three months did Fion and the 
thre"^ boys remain with the Queen 
of Sciana Breaca, and every year 
a boat laden with gold and silver and 
precious stones, and well-wrought hel- 
mets, shields and lorlcas, and chess- 
tables, and rich cloaks, arrived for the 
sons of Baivr Sculloge at the point of 
the shore where the Queen's messen- 
ger had laid geasa on the famous son 
of Cumhail. 



Official Report* 

THE latest official report of the 
Commissioners of National Edu- 
cation in Ireland throws sugges- 
tive sidelights on the progress of the 
Celtic revival in Ireland. 

A report Just issued shows that the 
Gaelic League had last year 101 
branches (all details are given) in the 
province of Ulster alone. Cork County 
(to take the other extreme) had 55, 
Dublin had 53. 

The Irish in England, Scotland, 
Wales, America, New Zealand (Aus- 
tralia is now represented), and even 
South Africa ^Cape Town ahd Kimber- 
ley), had also- their branches. 



Irisli Tobacco» 

THERE was an interesting debate 
in the House of Commons re- 
cently on the tobacco duty with 
reference to the cultivation of the to- 
bacco plant in Ireland. It was ini- 
tiated by Mr. Wm. Redmond, who was 
supported by Mr. Field, the latter also 
submitting certain grievances under 
which Irish tobacco manufacturers 
labour. 

Mr. Ritchie was sympathetic, but 
non-committal. He however gave an 
undertaking that he would gladly as- 
sist as far as It lay in his power the 
establishment and extension of the 
tobacco growing industry in Ireland. 



The Ireland Club» 

THE new association which Lord 
Charles Beresford is promoting 
in London for the development 
of Irish industries is to be styled the 
Ireland Club. The Club is to be or- 
ganized on the lines of the Eighty 
Club, and it is proposed to have perio- 
dical dinners, to which distinguished 
guests will be invited, and after whlsh 
Irish questions will be discussed. 

The Duke of Connacht is to be In- 
vited to be the flrst president, and the 
original members will include Lord 
Charles Beresford, Lord Marcus Beres- 
ford, Lord Iveagh, Mr. Pirrie, the Hon. 
Charles Russell, Mr. Vesey Knox, Sir 
Thomas Lipton, Mr. Slatiery, chair- 
man of the National Bank, and Mr. 
Morton Frewen. 



The Lights o^ Home* 

O TWENTY ships in Bantry Bay, 
Good-bye to the lights o' 
home: 
For a lad's heart's one with the wan- 
dering wind 
And ever a lad must roam; 
Twenty hands mayn't stay him, 
Or twenty hearts delay him. 
The sails are spread in Bantry Bay, 
Good-bye to the lights o* home. 

Over the. world to Bantry Bay, 

Win home, lad, at the last: 
For a man's heart's fain to anchor there 

And furl the sail to the mast 
And a thousand suns mayn't blind him, 
Or a thousand leagues mayn't bind him 
For the light that shines o'er Bantry 
Bay 
Will lead him home at last. > 
—ARTHUR KETCHUM. 



l^ 



THE GAEL. 



Jvdy. 1903 




MY LADY'S HONOR. 



A Tale of Old Dublin Society. 





Y father loved peace greatly, 
albeit he was Galway born 
and had been suckled on the 
Code, of Honor as every 
gentleman was and need to be. 
He was a poor man at the bot- 
tle, and found little pleasure in 
quarrelling with his friends or 
In laying them In the Friar's Field. 
Thus it was that he had few friends, 
while my uncle Roger had many that 
loved him and would have died for 
him, as indeed not a few did, to prove 
that Roger Blake was the straightest 
shot in the kingdom. 

My father was gentle and loved 
poetry better than drinking, and that 
he was no mean poet himself I dare 
swear, since my Lord Bishop of Derry 
was used to put many of his verses 
into the sermons which he preached 
before the Viceroy's Court. Moreover, 
behoved women better than he loved 
men, for which the women scorned 
him and the men made jests about 
him when the wine flowed, and Roger 
shouted with laughter at their wit. 

It was Roger that taught me all the 
things that I knew of sword-play and 
of point blankers, and how to fire 
straight at a hand gallop. When I was 
ten and could repeat the "Gentleman's 
Creed," as the Code of Honor was call- 
ed, he told me that I knew all that a 
gentleman had need to know, and for- 
bade me to forget that it was he who 
had taught me. 

"I'll never marry, boy," he said, "for- 
women are kittle-cattle for a man to 
manage unless he gives them all his 
time. So Roger, my lad, you shall be 
your uncle's heir, as well as your fath- 
er's. My blessing is worth little, 
my dueling pistols 'Sparks' and 'Lay 
'em out' are worth much to a man of 
sense and discretion. They shall be 
yours when I am done with them." 

I gazed at his favorite pistols with 
the notdies graved on the stocks, tell- ' 
ing of those whom they had hipped, 
winged, or laid, and I was filled with 
pride and not a little awe. I was im- 
patient to become a man, that I might 
go out with my uncle in the mornings 



By H« A* Hifikson. 

and blaze at a friend in the Friar's 
Field, and no longer at the wooden fig- 
ure which he had made for me. 

I came into my inheritance sooner 
than I had thought to do, for one 
morning, while my father and I were 
still at breakfast, Roger Blake was car- 
ried into the house, with a ball in his 
head and as lifeless as an empty bottle. 

'Twas but a half-mounted gentleman, 
after all, and one that had hever fired 
straight before, who robbed the coun- 
try of the gallantest rider and straigh- 
est shot in the kingdom, and had ivog- 
er Blake foreseen what would happen, 
'twould have broken his heart to think 
that he would be put to sleep by a man 
who was not his equal, instead of by 
one who loved him, and that the honor 
of killing him had gone to a stranger. 

For days my father was distraught 
and I little better, albeit I had some 
comfort, for I took my uncle's pistols 
and soon fell asleep, kissing them and 
sobbing over them. My father never 
ceased grieving for his brother, albeit 
his death had made him head of the 
house, and Lord of the Castle and lands 
of Inishogue. So Sir Denis took the 
place of Sir Roger, and the crowds of 
gallant gentlemen came no longer to 
drink buttered claret at night and plan 
meetings for the morrow. 

And I must needs learn Latin and 
such things, albeit my Uncle Roger 
had declared that at ten years of age 
I had learned all that a gentleman had 
need to know. So I must spend the 
morning hours in the library, when I 
was fain to be out on the hills with the 
gun, or on horseback following the 
deer. 

But the big, strong man was dead, 
and Sir Denis had other plans for his 
son than had Sir Roger for his heir. 
Yet, in secret, I loved my uncle best, 
and resolved that I would forget none 
of his teaching for all my peaceful life. 

Now, Sir Roger had ever been a man 
great at spending money and caring 
little whence it came. Sir Denis, too, 
thought ipore of a sonnet, especially if 
it. was after the Italian fashion, than 
he did of a hundred guineas. 



So it was not unnatural that, when I 
was come to a man's estate, I should 
bethink me of seeking fortune else- 
where than at home. And for this lat- 
ter I might have been better fitted if 
Sir Roger had lived, for then I had not 
spent so much of my time in reading 
the Latin and Italian poets and striv- 
ing in secret to rival them, when I 
might have been drinking with my 
friends, or blazing at them, as the cus- 
tom was. 

But my father had set his face 
against fighting since the death of Sir 
Roger, and so it came about that, when 
I had reached my twenty-third year, I 
had never blazed at anything, save the 
wooden figure that my uncle had made 
for me, and had never faced a pistol 
aimed by friend or enemy. 

My father was fair to keep me at 
home in peace, but the need was great 
that I should seek fortune, and I was 
no longer satisfied with tales of love 
and battle, but impatient to be ac- 
counted a man by those who had heard 
of Sir Roger. 

So I set out for Dublin, bearing a 
letter commending me to the Lady Isa- 
bel Carmody, who was a kinswoman, 
and accounted of great fashion and in- 
fiuence in the capital, and chiefly with 
the Viceroy. 

As soon as the tailor had made me 
better pleased with myself, and, there- 
fore, more confident, I presented my- 
self to my cousin. She was still hand- 
some, albeit no longer young, and to 
me would have seemed the most beau- 
tiful woman that ever I had seen had 
it not been for the presence of another 
to whom she presented me. 

The Lady Isabel received me gra- 
ciously enough, but with much dignity, 
as though she would not have me for- 
get how greatly honored I was to be 
so greeted. 

"You are welcome, sir," she said 
giving me her hand, which I kissed 
humbly, "and you may command my 
services when they are needful." 

"You are very gracious, madam," I 
murmured; "and I trust that soon I 
shall have the chance to show my 
gratitude." At this she seemed pleased. 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



July, J903* 



THE GAEL 



221 



"The son of Sir Roger Blake is well 
worth serving," she answered, "if he 
resemble his faUner aught God's 
sakes, Peggy, th|«( was a man." . 

"You are mistaken, madam," I said, 
"for I am not Sir Roger's son, but only 
his nephew." 

At this she drew back, and the smile 
left her face. 

"Indeed, sir, I am." she retorted, "for 
now I think of it, you are more like a 
poet than a fighter. Fighters should 
ever be ruddy of face and full of blood ; 
but your eyes are dark as night, a^d 
your face pale as the moon. Is it not 
so, Peggy?" and she turned to her 
companion. 

"True, Lady Isabel," the lady an- 
swered, so sweetly that my resentment 
was quickly cooled. "Yet many poets 
have been great fighters too. How can 
a man sing worthily of battles who 
dares not do the deeds he sings?" 

I turned from my cousin to the lady, 
and bowing low before her: 

"I thank you, madam," I said, "both 
for the goodness of your heart, as well 
as for your wisdom, for, albeit I am 
no poet, I know that your words are 
true." 

My cousin looked perplexed a mo- 
ment, then burst out laughing. 

"Since Lady Peggy Devereux, so long 
the despair of every gallant gentleman, 
has taken my kinsman's side," she ex- 
claimed, "'twould be strange and not 
easy to be forgiven were I against 
him. Forgive, me. Roger; I did but 
jest. No doubt that your sword is as 
ready as it should be, since you are a 
Blake, and Lady Peggy believes in 
you." 

And she smiled mockingly at the girl 
who seemed to be somewhat put out of 
countenance by my cousin's raillery. 
But for answer, I made Lady Peggy a 
low bow. 

" 'Twere enough to make a coward 
brave, madam," I said, "to know that 
you believed him to be so. When Lady 
Peggy would make trial of Roger 
Blake's courage or gratitude, she shall 
have it," and I tapped the hilt of my 
sword. 

"I thank you, sir," the young lady 
answered, very sweetly, "since a lady 
might well trust the honor and courage 
of a Blake, and be proud to lean upon 
it." 

"Very pretty, indeed, by my faith," 
cried Lady Isabel. "Would there were 
more to witness so sweet a play. Has 
Diana loosed her zone at last for a wild 
hunter from the west, because he has 
the eyes and the cheek of a poet? How 
the city will talk when it hears that the 
Lady Peggy's heart has been won by 
a boy who has never fieshed his sword, 
and whose voice has yet scarce got the 
ring of a man in It. Lord, Peggy, you 
will be the death of my kinsman!" and 
she burst into loud laughter. 

But Lady Peggy did not join in her 
laughter. Her cheeks flamed, and her 
eyes flashed. She drew herself up very 
haughtily. 

"Lady Isabel," she returned, calmly, 
though her bosom heaved, "I see no 
cause for such rude mirth, since I have 
only declared my belief in the honor 
and courage of a gentleman who is 



your own kinsman. My wits are dull 
to-day, or else I am lacking in humor, 
since I find such a matter unsuitable 
for jesting." 

Then she made us a low courtesy, 
and swept from the room. When she 
had gone, I turned to my cousin: 
' "Madam," I said, coldly, "I had not 
thought in the house of a kinswoman 
my honor would stand in need of a 
stranger's defence. I pray you pardon 
me that I have claimed more than kin- 
ship warrants. I had thought to find 
a friend." 

"Tush, boy, where are your wits?" 
she cried, impatiently. "You have 
found a friend, and, if I mistake not, 
a lover, if so be you have the heart 
to win her." 

"My wits are indeed dull," I return- 
ed, "for I see little wit in the jest." 

" 'Tis no jest," she made answer, 
"for I think you have touched the 
lady's heart." 

"The lady's heart?" I echoed. 

"Aye, in truth, the heart of Lady 
Peggy Devereux, that every buck in 
the city would risk his life for, albeit 
she only mocks them for their pains. 
Yet 'twill be no easy thing to win and 
hold, seeing that she loves daring and 
gallantry, however she talk of poetry 
and such things." 

"You are pleased to jest again. Lady 
Isabel," I said, albeit my heart beat 
fast, thinking of so much beauty, and 
that, maybe, 'twas not all a jest. 

" 'Tis no jest," she answered, impa^ 
tiently, "if you have a drop of Sir 



Roger's blood in you and think the 
lady fair." 

"I have never seen one half so fair," 
I burst out, so eagerly that I think my 
cousin would have been as well pleas- 
ed with less vehemence. 

"You have lived in a cloister, Roger," 
she returned, coldly; "yet many men 
think her fair, and she has a great 
fortune." 

"For that I care nothing," I cried. 

"Since you are Sir Roger's heir, and 
he has left you " 

"His blessing," I interrupted. 

She burst out laughing. 

"I could have sworn it," she said. 

"And his pistols," I went on. 

"Ah, that is better, if you can use 
them," she replied, more seriously. 
"Can you shoot straight?" 

"Were you a man, I could answer 
you," I returned, for, since she was a 
woman, I dared not tell her that I had 
never yet blazed at a man, albeit I 
could hit the red patch on Sir Roger's 
wooden figure at twenty paces. 

"Being a woman, I am answered," 
she said. "Forgive me, Roger, If I 
have wronged you, since I loved Roger 
Blake," and she gave me her hand. I 
was amazed, seeing the tears in her 
eyes, for I had thought her a cold wo- 
man of the world, because I knew 
nothing of women. So I took her hand 
and kissed it 

"If you need a service. Cousin Isa- 
bel," 1 returned, "pray remember that 
1 am Roger Blake's kinsman as well 
as his namesake, to sustain the honor 



"j^ 




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THE GAEL. 



July, J903 



of the family both with sword and pis- 
tol, as my uncle taught me." 

"If Roger Blake taught you, and you 
are true to your pledge, then I should 
be a proud woman," she said; "and 
indeed so I am, since it was only the 
tongue of a woman that did you wrong, 
when her heart gave it the lie." 

Then, when I would have kissed her 
hand, she presented her cheek to me. 
But I kissed her boldly upon the lips, 
at which she feigned anger, blushing 
very becomingly. 

"A man might well be proud to serve 
so fair a kinswoman, and be so reward- 
ed," I said, and would have saluted her 
again, but she drew back laughing. 

* Truly you are Sir Roger's heir," 
she cried, "for he loved women only 
with his lips. Go, lest I grieve to think 
that there are twenty years between 
my youth and me." 

So I went down the stairs, feeling as 
though it were years since I had en- 
tered. As I passed through the hall, 
the Lady Peggy met me. She made 
me a courtesy as her eyes greeted mine 
and I could have sworn that her color 
was grown deeper. Taking a sudden 
resolve, I turned and stood before her. 

"Madam," I said, bowing low, "we 
may not meet again, but I would fain 
thank you for your kind words to a 
stranger." 

"No, not a stranger," her lips mur- 
mured. 

"I thank you again," I went on. "and 
would pray you to remember that 
whenever Lady Peggy Devereux would 
make trial of the gratitude of a poor 
gentleman, she may command the 
sword and Hfe of Roger Blake." 

"I shall remember." she returned, 
smiling very sweetly. "Such a pledge 
and backed by such a name is not 
lightly to be forgotten," and again she 
made me a courtesy and passed on. 

Then I went out. and for some min- 
utes could see nothing save her face, 
so dazzled was I by its beauty. 

Now the times were troublous, and 
a woman was wont to hold a ready 
sword or a straight shot near as dear 
as her honor. So I was mightily 
proud that a lady of so much wit and 
beauty should have chosen to lay her 
quarrels upon me, who was a stranger 
with my spurs yet to win, and that, 
too, albeit, if gossip spoke truly, there 
was no lack of gentlemen in the city 
ready to shed their own and others* 
blood to win a smile from her. Yet I 
was not vain enough to lay this to the 
credit of my own deserving, rather 
than to my uncle's name, albeit Sir 
Roger had last drawn a hair-trigger a 
dozen years before. 

Now this was what my father had 
feared most greatly, lest, at the Court, 
men should forget that I was the son 
of Sir Denis, In remembering that I 
was the nephew of Sir Roger. Thus 
it was that, before I set out for the 
capital, I must needs pledge myself to 
be a man of peace for thirty days, nor 
draw a sword or a pistol, save in the 
defence of my honor or my life. 

"The Viceroy has brawlers in plenty 
about his Court," said Sir Denis, "and 
will prize a man of peace and discre- 
tion." 



So I gave him the promise, albeit I 
knew that 'twould have broken Sir 
Roger 'i heart to think that one of his 
name should keep his barkers, 
"Sparki" and "Lay 'em out," so long 
idle, an^ that I should so soon forget 
what ht had taught me. Yet at the 
time it seemed no very grave matter, 
nor could I have guessed that so light 
a thing should go near to prove my 
undoing. 

Now, when I came to the capital, I 
was welcomed with great kindness by 
the bucks who had loved Sir Roger, 
and by the young bloods who Ipved his 
memory, and must needs drink to him 
and to his barkers at the Black Horse 
Tavern, and all the while no man 
spoke of Sir Denis, but only of Sir 
Roger, and of "Sparks" and "Lay *em 
out," and of those that he had hipped, 
winged, or laid. Yet, albeit their love 
was very agreeable to me, I must keep 
a cool head, seeing that I was pledged 
to be a man of peace for thirty days. 

So I would not pass the third bottle 
lest my head should grow hot and I 
should forget my promise. This wsis 
little t» their liking, since I was named 



after my kinsman, and Sir Roger had 
never cried "enough" till within an 
hour of sunrise, when he had business 
to settle and feared lest the dawn 
should dazzle his eyes and make his 
aim unsteauy, which had happened 
once when he was a lad, so that he 
failed to hip his man, but only broke 
his leg. 

Now, when they could not break my 
resolve, they took it ill, grieving over 
me as if I were sick of a fever and 
must die in my bed, and no longer 
bade me drink with them nor spoke of 
Sir Roger. So I determined that I 
would go no more to the Black Horse 
Tavern until I might drink buttered 
claret with them at night and meet 
them with point blankers in the morn- 
ing; for, in truth, I was grieved to 
make them sad, since already I was 
grown up to love them, and, most of 
all, Amby Burke, who was but a 
month older than I, and had met his 
man sixteen times — five times with the 
sword at a hand gallop, as the old cus- 
tom was, and eleven times with the 
hair-trigger. 

It wanted but two days to complete 




*TH£R£ STANDING, BY A PII^I^AR. 



bPd^^ewGewDgIe 



July, J903* 



THE GAEL* 



223 



the thirty and set me free to follow Sir 
Rogers* teaching, when I received a 
message from the Lady Isabel Car- 
mody, bidding me to her rout that 
same night. I had never seen anything 
half so brilliant, for my cousin was a 
lady of fashion as well as of beauty, 
and her wit made men forget the years 
she had counted. So it was that all 
the most gallant gentlemen of the city 
came to kiss her hand and to whisper 
scandal of the fair women that denied 
them. And of fair women there was 
no lack, albeit my eyes were blind to 
their beauty while I sought for Lady 
Peggy Devereux. 

I found it no easy matter to greet 
my cousin, so great was the throng 
about her, but at length I grew impa- 
tient and pushed my way through the 
crowd. When her eyes fell upon me, 
she smiled very pleasantly. 

"You are late. Cousin Roger," she 
cried, giving me her hand. 

"Since you have many lovers," I re- 
turned. 

"The true lover should ever be first, 
• lest he come too late," she retorted, 
laughing. 

So I kissed her band, and would 
have withdrawn to make way for oth- 
ers, but she held me back, and, put- 
ting her lips near to my ear, whisper- 
ed: "Go, seek the Lady Peggy, and 
greet her as publicly as you can, for 
the sake of your honor." 

Then she turned from me and I drew 
back like one in a dream, so amazed 
was I at her words. Yet, seeing that 
I had but little hope to discover her 
meaning, I resolved to obey her, and 
that the more readily since my heart 
backed her words. If my honor were 
in peril, I well knew how to defend it. 
I made what haste I could through 
the crowd, until I came to a chamber 
where the minuet was forward. There, 
standing by a pillar, I saw Lady 
Peggy. The light of the candles flash- 
ed on the jewels in her hair, but her 
eyes were brighter than they and her 
neck whiter than the pearls that en- 
circled it. About her was a group of 
gentlemen who seemed eager to win 
her smile, as indeed well they might, 
since her laughter was sweeter than 
the song of the thrush. 

I watched her a moment, marvelling 
at her beauty. Then, of a sudden, her 
eyes met mine, and I oould have sworn 
that I saw the blood flame in her 
cheeks. I hesitated no longer, but 
strode forward, caring naught for the 
angry looks that were cast upon me. 

"Roger Blake begs that the fairest 
lady in the kingdom will tread a mea- 
sure with him," I said, and bowed low 
before her. 

"I know not who she may be," she 
answered, smiling. 

"And I know none half so fair as the 
Lady Peggy Devereux," I cried. 

"A pretty speech, by my faith. Is it 
not so, gentlemen?" she returned. 
"And indeed I know not how to an- 
swer it, since I am so greatly hon- 
ored." 

"Yet I would have an answer," I 
said. 

"Then, sir, you shall," she broke 
out "Peggy Devereux is proud to 




THE DUEL IN THE PARK. 

stpp it with the bravest gentleman in 
the kingdom. Here^s my hand on it/" 
and 1 thoiiglJt she looked rleftantly at 
those about her. Hut 1 knelt and kiss- 
ed her hand and then placed it upon 
my arm. And so. when she had made 
them a courtesy, 1 led her away, and 
my heart leaped at the anger in their 
faces 

"By my faith, 'twas a bold stroke," 
she said, after a moment, "to make so 
many enemies so quickly. Yet I love 
you all the better for it, since none 
but a Blake would dare it" 

"So you love me, I care not if every 
man in the world were an enemy," I 
cried. 

"Hush, I pray you," she murmured, 
"till we may speak freely, for I have 
somewhat to say to you in private." 

So I led her to an alcove where we 
might speak without fear of listeners. 

She spoke in so low a voice that the 
beating of my heart was louder. 

" *Tis but a few days since that you 
pledged yourself to defend my honor. 
Now I have need of your service." 

"Your honor is safe," I returned. 

"Yet I fear there is danger," she 
went on, watching me. 

"I have not been taught the mean- 
ing of the word," I said, proudly. 
"Tell me what I must do, and it shall 
be done. Believe me that I shall bring 
no dishonor upon the name I bear." 

"I could have sworn it," she mut- 
tered, as though she answered her own 
thoughts. "I am proud to be so serv- 
ed." 

"And the service?" I asked. 

She came close to me. 

"It is now past daybreak," she said. 
"Go hence without delay and send a 
message to Sir Miles Cogan, bidding 
him nieet you in the Nine Acres one 
hour after dawn to-morrow." 

I started, for she had named the 
straig^test shot in the kingdom, and 
one not like to miss at sixteen paces. 

"You can play with the barkers?" 
she asked, a little anxiously, as I 
thought. 

"If Sir Roger has taught me well 
and I am no dullard," I returned, "1 
will hip the rascal." . 



"I thank you, sir," she said, very 
sweetly. "And your reward? What 
shall It be?" 

"It is so great that I dare not ask 
for it!" I answered, for my blood was 
grown hot, seeing the color in her face. 

"Then, sir," she made answer, "if 
you shall find courage to ask for it, 
Peggy Devereux will not complain of 
the terms." And, making me a cour- 
tesy, she turned and left me before I 
could find a word. 

So I forsook Lady Isabel's ball room 
and made haste to return to my lodg- 
ing. Neither did I lose any time in 
keeping my promise to Lady Peggy, 
but at once dispatched a message to 
Sir Miles Cogan, begging that he would 
honor me with his presence in the Nine 
Acres an hour after sunrise on the 
next day. 

In a little while the answer was 
brought me that Sir Miles Cogan would 
have great pleasure to put a hole in 
Mr. Roger Blake's body at whatever 
point was most agreeable to him. Then 
I wrote a letter to my father telling 
him how that I had kept my pledge 
and been a man of peace for thirty 
days, but was now about to defend my 
honor as Sir Roger had taught me. 

I had scarce finished the letter when 
a sword hilt rattled noisily upon the 
door, and Amby Burke entered. He 
made me a curt bow, then, flinging his 
hat upon the table, he threw himself 
into a chair whence he gazed at me 
for some moments with a mournful- 
ness that would have grieved me had I 
been more at leisure. But I saw only 
that his cheek was flushed and his eyes 
dull as though he had drunk deep. 

"I am much honored by your visit." 
I said, when I had waited for him to 
speak; "yet I fear that fortune has 
played a scurvy trick upon you." 

"Aye, that she has," he cried; "for 



224 



THE GAEL. 



Juir, J903. 



I never felt sadder in my life; but my 
tongue is dry and I have no mind to 
talk." 

"Then drink," I said, pushing the 
wine towards him; "for I have some 
faith In the claret" 

He raised the wine to his lips, then 
suddently dashed it to the floor. 

"Pah!" he exclaimed. "It is foul, 
and such that no gentleman should 
give another. By my honor, it is foul." 

"By my honor!" I cried, for the 
blood was in my head, "it is as good 
claret as ever came out of France, and 
he lies that dare deny it." 

He took his hat from the table and 
made me a bow. 

"To-morrow," he said, "I shall be at 
your service." 

"And I at your the day after," I re- 
turned. 

"How so, sir?" he asked, in some 
surprise. 

"Since I have Invited Sir Miles Co- 
gan to meet me to-morrow." 

"With point blankers?" he asked, 
and his eyes sparkled. 

"With point blankers," I replied. 

He cast his hat upon the floor, and 
flung his arms about my neck. 

"God forgive me, Roger," he cried, 
"for I have split the best drop of claret 
that ever came out of France." 

"So you have." I retorted, for I knew 
what was in his mind, "yet there is 
more if you would drink to a merry 
meeting and load my pistols in the 
morning." 

"Aye, that I will, and carry you 
home and be your chief mourner, if 
need be," he cried out, "if you will 
forgive me for doubting a Blake, and 
Sir Roger's kinsman to boot. 

Then I must needs drink buttered 
claret at the Black Horse Tavern, and 
learn how greatly they loved me, who 
had lately looked coldly upon me, be- 
cause I was to meet Sir Miles in the 
morning. 

So, within an hour after sunrise, 
Burke and I were upon the ground 
and Amby loaded my barkers, after 
that be had kissed them reverently in 
memory of Sir Roger. 

Sir Miles was a big man and the 
mist had not yet risen. Moreover, he 
wore a waistcoat of scarlet satin which 
was very plain at twelve paces, and re- 
minded me of the red patch on Sir 
Roger's wooden figure at Inishogue. 

"Never look at the head or the 
heels," whispered Amby in my ear, 
when the ground was measured, and 
he had placed ' Lay 'em out" in my 
hand; "the hip for ever." 

So we blazed as near as possible to- 
gether, and, to my great surprise, I 
found myself still standing and no 
wound that I could discover, save what 
my tailor could mend, since the ball 
had torn a great portion of my sleeve 
away. But Sir Miles made me a bow 
and fell upon his face, for I had left a 
ball in his hip as I had sworn to do. 

Then Amby and I went back to the 
Black Horse Tavern, where many 
awaited us, eager to know the cause of 
the quarrel, but I would tell them 
nothing, since, indeed, I knew of no 
cause, and^had never before set eyes 
upon Sir Miles. 



Now, when the town had ceased to 
wonder how Roger Blake had hipped 
Bit Miles Cogan, and that, too, on his 
first blood, I grew impatient to learn 
how Lady Peggy regarded the matter, 
and if I might dare demand the re- 
ward which she had promised me. 

So, having learned that she was at 
my cousin's house, I made haste to 
wait upon her. She was alone when I 
bowed before her. 

"The Lady Isabel is from home, sir," 
she said, making me courtesy. 

" 'Tis not my cousin, but the Lady 
Peggy Devereux that I have come to 
see," I answered. 

"For which she is greatly honored," 
she returned, and there was mockery 
in her voice. 

I drew back, stung by her coldness, 
and remembering that I had staked 
my life for her honor. 

"I had not thought to find my pres- 
ence unwelcome," I returned, "or it 
may be that you have forgotten a poor 
gentleman who has striven to serve 
you without hope of reward and would 
serve you again." 

"Without reward?" she asked smil- 
ing. 

"Since his life is of so litUe worth." 

"What would you have?" she mur- 
mured. "For since you have served 
me you shall have what you ask, for 
my honor is pledged." 

"But your heart," I broke out 

"'Tis pledged already," she mur- 
mured, looking down at her feet, 
since Roger Blake has saved my 
honor." 

"Your honor!" I exclaimed. 

"Yes, sir, my honor and your own," 
she «nswered, raising her eyes to my 
face, "since there were those that 
doubted it So I played this trick up- 
on you to prove me right And for 
this I have been sorely punished, since 
I had no rest till they told me you 
were safe," and her head drooped until 
it rested upon my heart. 

Then I knew indeed now the Lady 
Peggy Devereux had saved my honor 
and how near I had gone to losing it 



A CURIOUS but not creditable oc- 
currence took place not long ago 
in the port of Dublin. The Glas- 
gow steamer arrived at the North Wall 
with a large piece of machinery, weigh- 
ing, about 25 tons, when it was 
found that none of the cranes were 
able to unload it, with the consequence 
that the steamer was compelled to go 
to Belfast and land the machinery 
there, and send It by rail to Dublin. 

The Irish Lights Board had to send 
away their steamer to the Clyde lately 
because there was no crane in Dub- 
lin able to lift out her boilers. It 
seems too bad that a port like Dublin 
should be left without the means of 
handling cumbrous goods. 



THE council of Dublin University 
has recommended that the sen- 
ate approve of the admission of 
women to the rights of the University. 
The council also asked the senate to 
approve the abolition of Greek as a 
compulsory study. . 



The Cradle Ship» 

WHSN baby goes a-sailin£r, and 
the breeze is fresh and free, 
ffis ship Is Just the queerest 
craft that ever sailed the sea. 
Ten fingers true make up the crew 

that watch on deck must keep. 
While, In a row, ten toes below are 

passengers asleep; 
And mother is the pilot dear— ah, none 

so safe as she — 
When baby goes a-saillng. and the 
wind is fresh and free. 

When mother rocks the cradle ship. 

the walls— for shores— slip past; 
The breezes from the garden blow 

when baby boy sails fast — 
So fast he flies that dolly cries she 

fears we'll run her down. 
So hard a-port; we're not the sort to 

see a dolly drown; 
And then, you know, we've got the 

whole wide carpet for a sea 
When baby goes a-saillng. and the 

wind Is fresh and free. 

When baby lies becalmed in sleep, and 

all the crew is still, 
When that dear ship's in port at last 

all safe from storm and ill. 
Two eyes of love shall shine above, two 

lips shall kiss his face 
Until in deep and tranquil sleep he'll 

smile at that embrace. 
For mother watches, too, at night 

while through his slumbers creep 
Dreams — memories of sailing ere the 

breezes fell asleep. 

—MRS. J. P. CONROY. 



AN interesting discussion took place 
at a recent meeting of the En- 
nlsklllen Board of Guardians in 
reference to the Imporant railway 
scheme embraced In the Ulster and 
Ck)nnaclUiL Railway Bill, which, if con- 
structed, "^ould do much to open up 
and develop the great tract of country 
intervening between Ruskey. on the 
Shannon, and Newry, some miles from 
Carlingford Lough. CJounty Down. 

The llnf Is of National importance, 
and wotllff be^'Of incalculable value to 
the country. In the district of Arlgna, 
which the proposed railway would 
touch,' there was an iron indus- 
try in active operation 100 years ago, 
and when the line is completed it Is 
hoped to re-establish and develop that 
Industry. 

There Is also coal In the district, 
which is at present being used on the 
Cavan & Leitrim Railway. This Arlg- 
na coal is superior to Welsh. The rail- 
way will enable the farmers to send 
their produce to English markets at a 
much lower rate than at present. 



THE GAEL will be sent to any ad- 
dress in the United States or Canada 
for one year for |1.00, or to any ad- 
dress in Ireland or Great Britain, one 
year for 5 shillings. 

All subscriptions are payable in ad- 
vance. Checks or Post Office Money 
Orders should be made payable to 
THE GAEL, 140 Nassau Street, New 
York. 



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The Right Hon. The Mac Dermot, K. C, R C 




^He man who admittedly to-day occupies pre-emi- 
nently tlie leading position at the Irish Bar is the 
Right Hon. Hugh Hyacinth O'Rorke MacDermot, 
better known by the ancient Celtic title of "The 
MacDermot." In two former Liberal administra- 
tions he was respectively Solicitor and Attorney- 
General, and before that he occupied the responsible posi- 
tion of Crown Prosecutor at Green Street, the blue ribbon 
of the prosecutor posts at the Irish Bar. 

In any other country but Ireland, where political and 
religious cleavages are so marked, a man of such eminence 
and erudition would have been long since on the Bench, 
that is, if professional merit brought one there, as it does, 
apart from political considerations, in England, and indeed 
in Scotland too. 

In Ireland alone, so unrelenting and fierce is party spirit, 
BO pronounced the feeling that to the "victors the spoils," 
that no government would venture to promote a deserving 
lawyer, however otherwise recommendable, who was not 
of their own party, and, as a result, the most curious ano- 
malies are sometimes witnessed in the Irish courts. 

The MacDermot comes from an old Catholic, Celtic and 
Co'inacht family, and is Ihe representative of the historic 
house of Coolavin. The family title was originally that of 
Prince of Moylurg, Tlroilel, Airteach and Clancuain, as 
may be seen in the Books of Liecan, Ballymote and Killl- 
onan, and the Annals of Lough Cé and the writings of Dr. 
O'Conor, Burke's "Hi hernia 
Dominicana." 

Driven from the ancient patri- 
mony during the Cromwellian 
wars, the then chief of the race 
removed to Coolavin, on the pic- 
turesque shores of Lough Gara, 
in the County of Sligo. The title 
has since been territorially con- 
nected with the portion of the 
family possessions which es- 
caped confiscation. It is one of 
the few Irish titles still surviv- 
ing, and has been distinctively 
borne by the chief of the name 
for a period extending pver eight 
hundred years. 

The MacDermot is a J. P. ana 
D. L. of the County Sligo, a 
Privy Councillor and King's 
Counsel, and a Bencher of the 
King's Inns. For over thirty 
years he has been prominently 
engaged in every great Nisi 
PriuB issue heard In the Four 
Courts or upon the Connacht 
Circuit, upon which he was for 
several years the acknowledged 
leader. 

The first forensic triumph of 
MacDermot on circuit was the 
defence of Barret, who was 
charged with shooting at Cap- 
tain Tom Lambert, and of 
which, despite strong evi- 
dence, he was acquitted. The 
next causa oelebre was the 




THE MAC DBRMOT. 



Mullarkey poison case, also a marvellous feat of adroit and 
able advocacy. MacDermot also appeared in the historic 
Galway Election Petition for Captain (now Colonel) Nolan, 
and the trial lasted in Galway for over a month. 

Subsequently MacDermot appeared in Dublin in all the 
great Nisi Prius trials, taking a prominent and pronounced 
part in the proceedings. He was engaged for the defence In 
the Joyce and Clanricarde libel case, the Wilfrid Blunt pro- 
secution, and for tho prosecution in the Sullivan case, and 
the bare record of his work is practically a history of the 
jury trials that for half a century were held in Dublin. 

in the O'Conor Don's interesting history of the O'Conors, 
we read that Denis O'Conor was uncle to MacDermot of 
Coolavin, and that both were members of the Catholic Con- 
vention of 1791. Speaking of Tone's writings, MacDermot 
said Jn a letter to O'Conor: "A better pamphlet than 
Tone's I never read. It may be called the manual of the 
North, but H certainly ought to become the manual of 
every person who is worthy of being an Irishman." 

Thus did O'Conor and MacDermot join in the foundation 
of the L-nited Irishmen, keeping up in their generation the 
continuity of inherited patriotism. Denis O'Conor was the 
father of Charles O'Conor of Belenagare, so famous for his 
writings, and was married to Catherine, daughter of Martin 
Brown of Cloonfad, and his daughter, Eliza, married her 
first cousin. MacDermot of Coolavin. 
The Elizabethan Indenture of Composition, the English 
charter of previously existing 
Irish rights, mentions as a ter- 
ritory Moylurg, alias "MacDer- 
mot's Country," and confirms 
the lands in the family. Later 
on, in 1587, Bingham, on the part 
of the English, took as hostages 
for the father's loyalty two sonb 
of MacDermot. This Bingham 
It was who next year committed 
such depredations that in the 
words of the record of the An- 
nals of Lough Key, "he made a 
bare polished garment of the 
province of Connacht." 

Closely associated in many en- 
terprises and expeditions 
through generations were the 
O'Conors and the MacDermots. 
We find them fighting the Clan- 
ricarde Burkes, protecting each 
other's children during minority, 
rising together with O'Donnell 
in 1607, fighting and suffering 
together, though occasionally 
differing in the old Irish fashion 
among themselves. 

The MacDermots, the O'Conors 
and other powerful native fam- 
ilies derived a common origin 
from Murryach, surnamed Mul- 
lathau, who reigned over Con- 
nacht in the seventh century. 
The MacDermots possessed a 
large tract of territory known as 
"MacDermot's Country," includ- 
ing a considerable portion of the 



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eoonties of Roscommon and Sligo, and even extending Into 
and comprehending some parts of Mayo. The Cromwellian 
confiscations and tne troubles incidental to loyalty in the 
Williamite wars, deprived them of many thousands of their 
broad acres. 

The brother of the King of Ck>nnacht, Maolnina Mor, 
known in the ancient annals as "Prince of Moylurg/' was. 
according to Burke, and better authorities, the prepositus 
of the race as distinguished from the O'Oonor or elder 
branch descended from the above-named Conor. Maol- 
runa's son led his sept at the Battle of ClonUrf in 1014. 
Dermot. or Diarmaid (an Irish name of much use, derived 
from Dia, a god, and airmaid of arms, and meaning "a god 
of arms." a title appropriate to chiefs) was the lineal de- 
scendant of Maolnina in the sixth generation. 

He died in 1165, "distinguished alike for valor and wis- 
dom." His son. Conor MacDermot, succeeded him, and 
from him the surname MacDermot originated. His son was 
Tomaltach na Carrig. or Timothy of the Rock, so-called 
from the strong fortress which he built in 1204. on the 
Islan of Lou^ Cé, near his chief mansion house, called 
from the fortress Portnacarrige. 

The direct filiations between him and Bnran MacDermot. 
next referred to, are Cormac Conor Gillachrist (Famulus 
ChristI) Maolrony, Tomaltach, Conor Hugh, Roderick Teig, 
Roderick, who died in 1540. and was succeeded by his son. 

Bryan MacDermot. chief and Prince of Moylurg, married 
Sarah, a daughter of O'Conor Sligo. and niece of O'Donel, 
prince of Tyrconnell, and his son, Bryan BiacDermot, the 
younger of Carrig MacDermot— the family seat now known 
as Rockingham, the beautiful residence of the Viceroy. 
Bryan being under age at the time of his father's death, 
the family patrimony was put in wardship, and in the Pat- 
ent Rolls of the third year of the reign of James I. he is 
described in connection with this wardship A chief of his 
name. 

In the thirteenth year of the same reign a grant by pat- 
ent was made him of the lordships, manors, and advowsons 
comprising Rockingham, in the barony of Boyle, and large 
territories in the counties of Roscommon and Sligo. This 
patent, richly illuminated, covers sixteen skins of parch- 
ment, and is in the possession of the present MacDermot 
of Coolavin. together with the articles entered into upon 
the marriage of the same Bryan with Margaret Burke ot 
Clanncarde. 

He had issue by her, two sons, Terence and Charles. 
Terence, who died unmarried, by indented deed dated 1640. 
assigned the family patrimony, including 389 quarters, to 
his brother. Charles MacDermot, of Portnacarrig, styled 
Cathal Roe, who became chief and prince of Moylurg, and 
who married Eleanor, youngest daughter of O'MuUoy of 
ITghtera, in the County of Roscommon. 

During the Cromwellian wars this Charles was, unfortu- 
nately for him and his property, a devoted adherent of "the 
Stuar* cause, and this loyalty to his prince led to the con- 
fiscation of his estates. Driven from his fortress, the Rock 
at Rockingham, be retired to Coolavin, on the shores of 
Lough Gars. 

In 1689 his eldest don, Hugh, garrisoned Sligo at his own 
expense, raising the standard of James XL, and in 1690 he 
was again restored to the family inheritance. The order of 
his restitution is dated ICOO, and bears the signature of 
Theobald Viscouol Dillon, as Lord Lieutenant of the 
County Roscommon, and it directs possession to be given to 
him. Charl*»s, of the Castle of Carrig MacDermot, the castle 
and strongjold of Conbo and other lands, which are therein 
described as bis "ancient inheritance." This interesting 
do< umer.t is in the possesoion of The MacDermot of Cool- 
avin, with the oarlier title deeds of these extensive cirrates. 

At AushrJra. Charles* son, Hugh, fought for James and 
wa« tak^n prisorer, and in consequence the family were 
driven from Roscommon, and their estates again, and. for 
the last time, wore confiscated. 

The County Viceregal residence in the West, Rocking- 
ham, which was the old seat of the MacDermots. is a most 
picturesqii*^ spot. Tradition ascribes to the old castle in 
its lake strange stories of the family. It was a great strong- 
hold.idmirably adapted by nature for the purpose — the is- 
anci bein? of a circular form, the defences in consequence 
an opt ''d that figure, the keep was surrounded by a fortified 



wall, so there was no landing except at a breaiA in this 
rampart. A more romantic and picturesque spot it would 
be impossible to conceive. This was the ancient strong- 
hold of the MacDermots before driven thither to OoolaYin 
in Sligo. 

The old name for Rockingham Island waa Trinity Island, 
situated in the beauciful waters of Lough Cé, or, as It is 
modernly described, Rockingham Lake. At the beginning 
of the present century it was the possession of Lord Lor- 
ton. now it is owned by the King Harmans. In **The Land- 
owners of Ireland" The MacDermot is given as possessing 
estates in three counties— 215 acres in Mayo. 185 acres in 
Roscommon, and 4.340 aeres in Sligo; in all 4.740 acres, 
valued at £1.400. 

In the Indenture of Connacht between Sir John Perrot, 
Lord Deputy for and on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, and 
William. Aichbishop of Tuam. John. Bishop of Elphin, 
Hhgh O'Conor of Ballintubber, otherwise The O'Conor Don, 
Ferrall MacDermot Roe. Conor Oge MacDermot. Mulmory 
MacDermot, chiet of his name. John Crofton of Canvoe. 
Collo O'Plynn of Clydagh, are the other contracting parties. 
The territory called MacDermot's territory or Moylurg. « 
described, delineated and set forth in detail. 

It confirms the possessions of Bryan MacDermot in these 
words: "That Bryan MacDermot for his better mainten- 
ance of living, and also In recompense of such customary 
duties, exactions and spendings as he pretended to have of 
MacDermot Roe and other freeholders in the barony of 
Boyle, shall by letters patent have not only the Castle of 
Carrick MecDermot and all such other castles and land aa 
belong to the name and calling of MacDermot. but also all 
such as he Is now entitled as his inheritance, to run in suc- 
cession from him to his heirs by course and orders of the 
laws of England, and also four quarters free as a demesne 
to his Castle of Castle Carrick MacDermot." This was 
signed in 1585. 

These possensions. then so long in the family, when con- 
firmed in 1585. but since much shorn of their ancient ex- 
tent, are tí:ose lands already mentioned as forming the 
patrimony of the MacDermots. and some of which have been 
inherited and more have been acquired by purchase by The 
MacDermot the present lineal represenUtive of the old sept, 
and the head of that fine old Catholic Celtic clan.— Ireland 
Illustrated. 



Irish Music* 

A VOICE beside the dim enchanted river. 
Out of the twilight, where the brooding trees 
Hear Shannon's druid waters chant for ever 
Tales of dead Kings, and Bards, and Shanachies; 
A girl's young voice out of the twilight, singing 

Old songs beside the legendary stream, 
A girl's clear voice, o'er the wan' waters ringing. 
Beats with its wild wings at the Gates of Dream. 

The flagger-leaves. whereon shy dewdrops glisten. 

Are swaying, swaying gently to the sound. 
The meadow-sweet and spearmint, as- they listen. 

Breathe wistfully their wizard balm around; 
And there, alone with her lone heart and heaven. 

Thrush-like she sings and lets her voice go free. 
Her soul, of all its hidden longing shriven. 

Soars on wild wings with her wild melody. 

Sweet in its plaintive Irish modulations. 

Her fresh young voice tuned to old sorrow seems. 
The pas«5ionate cry of countless generations 

Keenes in her breast as there she sings and dreams. 
No more, sad voice; for now the dawn is breaking 

Through the long night, through Ireland's night of tears. 
New songs wake in the morn of her awaking 

From the enthantmeni of nine hundred years! 

—JOHN TODHUNTER. 




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THE GAEL. 



227 




Irish 



Provincial Journalism* 

By Michael MacDonagh* 




)WENTY years ago I was a 
reporter on an Irish pro- 
vin<:ial newspaper, pub- 
lished in a county town 
in Munster. Pleasant 
are the impressions of 
these first years of jour- 
nalistic work which have survived the 
wet sponge that Time is constantly ap- 
plying to the blurred and tangled 
memories of the past, wiping them 
completely out of mind. 

I enjoyed the life thoroughly. I was 
very young then, and youth, it is true, 
transfigures everything. But looking 
back upon that time, in the light of 
the varied journalistic experiences 
which I have since obtained, it sems 
to me that the calling of a reporter on 
an Irish provincial newspaper has 
more than its full share of the joyous- 
ness, excitement, and adventure asso- 
ciated with reportorial work every- 
where. 

One experience there was of a har- 
rowing nature, though looking back 
upon it now through the softening 
shadows of twenty years, all its terrors 
have disappeared, and I see only Its 
mingled pathos and comedy. That 
was the anxiety I shared with the edi- 
tor for the hour or so before the paper 
was put to press the two evenings of 
the week on which we published, lest 
by an accident, which was always li- 
able to occur, we should lose the 
night's post. 

The paper consisted of four pages. 
The outer pages — the first and the 
fourth — were printed the day before 
publication. About seven o'clock every 
evening of publication, the foreman 
printer might be seen bending over a 
table with a stone slab on which he 
was "making-up" the columns of the 
two inside pages within the "chase" 
or iron frame. He was a fussy, ner- 
vous little man. with weak sight, and 
unless closely watched by the keener- 
eyed editor and reporter was liable to 
perpetrate some terrible "mixes'* — 
placing a section of the leading article 
among the advertisements, or jumbling 
up a wedding and an inquest, or a 
speech at a Land League meeting with 
a sermon in a Catholic church. 

"What's that you're putting in 
now?" the editor would ask as the 
foreman printer transferred a handful 
of matter from the last galley to an 
open column. 

"The end of the Board of Guardians, 
sir," the foreman would reply. 

"Do you see where you're putting 



it?" the editor would roar. "Right in 
the middle of tne breach of promise 
case. It's the other column, you ass." 

At last the make-up was completed; 
and the pages were locked within the 
"chase." The critical moment had 
now arrived — the transference of the 
pages to the machine. "Silence!" the 
editor cried. Every one in the ma- 
chine room stood still hardly daring 
to breathe. Just as the foreman and 
his assistants were about to lift the 
pages a laugh, perhaps, was heard, or 
something fell, in the adjoining loft 
in which the compositors work. "Hould 
your noise up there, the paper is goin' 
to the machine," some one shouted at 
the foot of the ladder. Then the pages 
were raised, with cries of "steady 
now," "steady now," from the anxious 
editor; slowly and cautiously carried 
to the machine, and deposited in ineir 
bed. 

A delicious feeling of relief suffused 
us all when that operation was per- 
formed without a mishap! What we 
dreaded was the dropping of some of 
the matter out of the frame. Occasion- 
ally, that awful catastrophe happened. 
Who that has heard it can ever forget 
the ominous patter of lines of type on 
the stone bed as the pages of a news- 
paper, not stereotyped, are about to be 
placed in the machine! I know it 
struck a cold chill to our hearts, for 
the remedying of the accident meant 
unimaginable trouble and confusion, 
and the probable closing of the post 
before the copies for our country sub- 
scribers could be printed. 

On most publication evenings, how- 
ever, the columns, being a tight fit, re- 
mained intact. The impression of the 
first copy of the paper being clear and 
clean the editor gave the order "full 
speed ahead." Manual labor was the 
motive power of the machine. Two 
men by turning a wheel kept the ma- 
chine going; another man perched on 
a high stool acted as "feeder" — seeing 
that each sheet of the pile of paper, 
already printed on one side, was prop- 
erly gripped and carried round on the 
revolving cylinder — and a fourth man 
received the sheets as they came out 
of the machine. 

The boy was soon busy in the outer 
office folding the papers and placing 
them in the wrappers for the post. The 
news, "the News is out." spread 
abroad, and there was a constant 
stream of townspeople into the office 
to purchase copies. 

Sometimes this quiet, steady prog- 



ress of things was suddenly interrupted 
by a shout of indignation in the edi- 
tor's room. There was a rush of feet; 
the banging of a door; and the rumb- 
ling of the machine ceased for a quar- 
ter of an hour. The editor had lit his 
pipe, and with a soothing sense of con- 
tentment that the worries of the day 
were at an end was placidly ranging 
his eye over the columns of the paper, 
when he discovered that, notwith- 
standing all his care, the foreman 
printer had tacked on "the end of the 
Board of Guardians" to a notice of 
"East Lynne" at the Theatre Royal! 

As his staff is very limited, the edi- 
tor of an Irish provincial journal has 
to discharge other functions, which, 
perhaps, are not strictly editorial, be- 
sides supervising the "make-up" of the 
paper by the foreman printer. He is 
his own sub-editor. He selects from 
other journals the matter to fill the 
columns for which there are no ad- 
vertisements or local news. He as- 
sists the foreman printer, who in Irish 
provincial newspaper offices is "the 
proof-reader," in correcting the proofs. 
He takes a turn at reporting on busy 
non-post days. He is the general man- 
ager of the establishment; and if there 
is a jobbing business or a general 
printing office attached he supervises 
that also. 

As a journalist there is not a tinge 
of "yellow" in his methods. The local 
news at his disposal often lends itself 
to sensational treatment and flaring 
headines — an eviction scene; an en- 
counter between police and people; the 
arrest of the local M. P., — but being 
like most of his race extremely con- 
servative, indifferent to new methods, 
he is usually content to jog along in 
the old rut of his predecessors, and he 
presents his news in the dry and sober 
fashion of the middle nineteenth cen- 
tury. As a consequence, all the pro- 
vincial newspapers of Ireland, are emi- 
nently respectable — and, many of 
them, dull. 

The only "purple-patch" in most of 
these journals is the leading-article, 
but its color is "green." The woes of 
Ireland are generally its theme. The 
editor of a provincial weekly, too often 
contemptious of local topics, or blind 
to the social abuses which call for re- 
dress at his very door, selects "the Na- 
tional Question" for the subject of his 
"leader"; and generally he treats it in 
the grand manner— pedantically and 
bombastically. If you meet the editor 
personally you are charmed with his 

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THE GAEL. 



July, J903. 



simple, easy manners. His wit and 
humor, his picturesque expressions, 
and pointed sayings, delight you. But 
when he takes his pen in hand to 
write his "leader" these natural gifts 
seem to desert him. The truth is, the 
Irish provincial newspaper tradition is 
tiiat in writing you must be didactic 
and artificial and flowery. At best the 
leading article, dealing with the griev- 
ances of Ireland, reads like a speech 
of rude but forceful eloquence. It is 
only when the editor is strongly mov- 
ed to abuse some local personage or 
institution that he shows his human 
nature in his writings. Then his 
"leader" reads as if it were penned 
with the point of a shillelagh, it says 
things so forcibly and in so sprawling 
a fashion. 

There is no mystery or anonymity 
about the editor of an Irish provincial 
newspaper. Every one in the little 
town knows him. But he does not suf- 
fer from that contempt which familiar- 
ity is said to breed. In his own sphere 
he is as formidable a personage as the 
editor of a great English daily who 
hobnobs with Cabinet Ministers and 
Duk^s; and is regarded by people to 
whom he is known only by appearance 
with greater admiration and awe. No- 
where more than In Ireland are the 
legendary terrors of the press believed 
In. Nowhere more than in Ireland is 
the majesty and potency of "the fourth 
estate" more generally acknowledged. 
The influence of even the provincial 
newspaper is enormous. That little 
rudely printed sheet is, in the eyes of 
the people of the town, more powerful. 
I will not say than an army with ban- 
ners, but than a policeman's baton. 
They would prefer a blow from a trun- 
cheon, wielded by a brawny young 
constable — ^a most unpleasant experi- 
ence, I can say from personal knowl- 
edge—to the sting of a paragraph in 
the local journal. 

The Irish are not a book-reading 
people; but they are great readers of 
newspapers. To the peasantry, espe- 
cially, the newspaper is a source of 
rare delight. They take a keen Inter- 
est in current affairs, politics particu- 
larly; and they heartily bless the man 
who invented the newspaper which 
lifts them out of the monotony and 
narrowness of their daily life and 
brings them into close touch with the 
great world outside their barony. 
Every item of intelligence is eagerly 
perused, the ins and outs of it are dis- 
cussed; and when the news is exhaust- 
ed the advertisement columns are 
turned to with the same eagerness. 
The ofters and invitations of the ad- 
vertisers are deliberately weighed and 
contrasted, though at the time the 
heads of the family may have no in- 
tention of making a purchase. This 
attraction of the newspaper is univer- 
sal in Ireland. No class escapes its 
charm. 

I was once told by a country priest, 
typical of his order, that day after day 
from year's end to year's end he read 
every line ia the "Freeman's Journal." 
He begun with the first birth adver- 
tisement in the first column of the 
front page, and read steadily in regu- 



lar order through the "sixpenny ads"; 
the "leaders" and editorial paragraphs, 
the London Letter, the displayed ad- 
vertisements; the reports of the pub- 
lic boards; the stocks and shares col- 
umn, the markets, the sporting intelli- 
gence, the business announcements on 
the back page, until brought reluct- 
antly to a full stop by the Imprint If 
any one wants to reach the Irish peo- 
ple — whether he be preacher, or teach- 
er, or advertiser — let him use the Irish 
press. 

Most of the provincial journals have 
good circulations, despite the ever- 
dwindling population and the rather 
stagnant prosperity of the country. 
One of the effects of the spread of edu- 
cation downwards in Ireland, as every- 
where the world over, is the enormous 
increase in the newspaper-reading pub- 
lic. The population of Ireland has 
fallen by one-half since the famine of 
'47; but at the same time readers of 
newspapers in Ireland have multiplied 
a hundred-fold. As I have already 
said, the people of Ireland are news- 
paper readers rather than book read- 
ers — a remark, which applies, I think, 
to all nationalities in the sense, at 
least, that the newspaper is every- 
where the popular form of reading; or, 
to put it in another way, the news- 
paper is in Ireland the chief form of 
recreation. 

Times of public excitement, when a 
country is agitated by some stirring 
political controversy, or a great na- 
tional crisis, are usually good for the 
newspapers. Their circulations rise 
with the eagerness of the people for 
news. Ireland is always in a turmoil 
which if hurtful to the general pros- 
perity of the country, is beneficial to 
the newspapers. And people do not 
confine themselves, nowadays, to one 
newspaper. In the Irish provinces as 
well as in the English the city dally 
is read for Its general intelligence and 
the local weekly for its district news. 
The bulk of the readers of tiie Irish 
provincial papers are what are called 
"subscribers," that is, for a yearly or 
half-yearly subscription they receive 
the paper through the post. I am 
afraid that in Ireland "subscribers" do 
not always pay their subscriptions. 
Perhaps it is a trait of human nature 
everywhere to put lightly aside, if not 
absolutely to ignore, the demand for 
the year's subscription for the local 
paper delivered at the door by the 
postman. I copy from an Irish provin- 
cial newspaper the following an- 
nouncement — minatory, but with 
touches of pathos and humor, the heart- 
cry of an editor stung to desperation 
by the silence which followed his fre- 
quent personal appeals for the settle- 
ment of accounts: 

"AN ALPHABETICAL LIST 
is prepared for publication of non- 
paying landlords and others who 
flatter themselves with the notion 
that a newspaper should be in their 
hands free gratis for nothing at the 
expense of the proprietor. Some 
of the parties in question never 
enjoyed better times than the pres- 
ent, yet they withhold the laborer 
his due." 



Newspapers are something else be- 
sides purveyors of news. They are 
business directories — they are guides 
to intending purchasers; and in the 
discharge of that function lies the^ 
chief source of Income. Indeed, m 
newspaper may exist upon very little 
news; but only ui>on advertisements 
does it wax fat and prosperous. The 
Irish are not an advertising race — at 
leaat, not in the newspapers. Loudly 
though their voices resound through 
the world on the subject of their polit- 
ical grievances, few of them that are 
in business cry their wares from tlie 
advertising columns of the provincial 
newspapers. 

There is a very clever weekly paper 
in Dublin by the name of "The 
Leader"— an organ unique in many re- 
spects among Irish newspapers, but, 
perhaps, most unique in its refusal to 
insert any advertisements of anything 
English — which has happily and ap- 
propriately dubbed the manufacturers 
and traders of Ireland who do not ad- 
vertise "the Dark Brotherhood." 

One of my own earliest recollections 
of the reading of the advertising col- 
umns of the Irish newspapers is the 
memory of a rhyme in which a well- 
known Dublin "bill-sticker" (as one 
who covers dead walls and hoardings 
with business announcements is call- 
ed in Ireland), offering his services to 
the public, enshrined an eternal truth: 

"Oo forth in haste, with bills and 
paste, 

Proclaim to all creation 
That men are wise who advertise 

In every rank and station." 

It was a "standing advertisement." 
that appeared, years upoiv years, in 
every issue of many Irish newspapers. 
But I am afraid that though the words 
of the poet planted themselves in many 
minds they bore little fruit. As a rule 
Irish tradesmen, especially in the 
sleepy country towns, content them- 
selves. In the way of advertisement, 
with putting their names over their 
doors and displaying their goods in 
their windows. 

A story, characteristic of Irish busi- 
ness ways, ití told of a Dublin pub- 
lisher who rarely advertised. In his 
shop, one day, a man picked up a book 
from the counter, and on seeing its 
title said to him, "Why I see you have 
brought out So-and-so's book." "He 
has!" cried the author, who happened 
to be standing by. "But say nothing 
about it, as he does not wish it to be 
known." 

Yet newspaper advertising pays well 
in Ireland, for— I repeat— it is through 
the press that the Irish people can be 
most effectively reached. The more 
enterprising among the local shop- 
keepers — drapers and grocers, and gen- 
eral traders, principally — and outside 
traders of agricultural stuffs and ma- 
chinery, are the chief advertisers in 
the provincial newspapers; and that 
this pays is proved by the fact that 
once a firm begins to advertise it never 
stops. 

But if local traders are shy of adver- 
tising, and subscribers slow to pay up. 

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THE GAEL, 



229 



&nd if the evening of publication has 
its worries, there are compensations in 
Irish provincial Journalism. The life 
of the editor and reporter is full of ad- 
venture and vicissitude. The editor of 
a Nationalist provincial journal up- 
liolds "the cause'' not only in the edi- 
torial columns, but goes into the 
streets or up the hillside to take part 
in the fray; drafts the flery resolu- 
tions to be proposed at the Lteague 
meeting, supplies the chairman with 
the manuscript of a flamboyant speech 
or delivers it himself. He goes to jail 
for six months for publishing what 
are interpreted as intimidatory and 
boycotting notices, and on the expira- 
tion of the sentence is escorted home 
from the jail with bands and banners, 
elected to the urban council, or county 
council, or sent to represent the divi- 
sion in the House of Commons. 

There is no popular distinction, no 
popular honor, too great for the editor 
of a provincial Nationalist journal. 
The people will bring out their bands 
and banners for him, light bonfires for 
him, vote for him, make him Mayor or 
Member of Parliament, stone the po- 
lice for him, get batonned for him — 
anything, but pay the subscription. for 
his journal 

I remember a case in which a pro- 
vincial newspaper gave up its entire 
literary staff to the cause — the editor 
was sentenced to nine months' impri- 
sonment, and its sole reporter was laid 
up in a hospital, the police having 
knocked out his teeth, and broken in 
his head, in the course of a popular 
demonstration following the convic- 
tion of his chief. It must be said in 
justice to ttie police that the assail- 
ants of the reporter were not aware 
that he was a journalist, and that In 
any event, there are grounds for be- 
lieving that it was stone-throwing and 
not note- taking he was about when 
struck down. 

My own journalistic recollections of 
the Royal Irish Constabulary are not 
always of the kindliest. As a repor- 
ter on the provincial and metropolitan 
press of Ireland during the Land Lea- 
gue and Plan of Campaign agitations, 
I have received some rough treatment 
at their hands — some baton blows and 
rifle thrusts — which it is impossible to 
escape when mixing at the call of duty 
in disorderly crowds. A colleague of 
mine had his silk hat broken by a blow 
of a policeman's baton at a proclaimed 
meeting — which was to have been ad- 
dressed by some Nationalist M. P.'s. 
"No more of that," said my friend, 
"I'm a reporter." 

"Oh, I beg your pardon," cried the 
constable very penitently. "Shure, I 
thought you were a Member of Parlia- 
ment" 

To journalists whom they recognize, 
whether they be the representatives of 
Nationalist or Unionist newspapers, 
the Irish Constabulary are invariably 
most obliging. They are extremely 
anxious to facilitate newspaper men in 
their work; and, in my experience, are 
far more considerate and far more 
helpful to journalists then the English 
police. 
I have heard of only one case of an 



Irish constable failing to understand 
the position of a reporter. There was 
a big flre in a provincial town and the 
journalist pushed his way through the 
crowd to the cordon of police sur- 
rounding the burning building. 

"Where are you going," demanded a 
constable. 



"I'm a reporter; I want to get some 
particulars about the flre," was the re- 
ply. 

"Here, get out of inls," said the con- 
stable, pushing the newspaper man 
baek into the crowd. "You can read 
. all about it In the papers to-morrow." 

London, June 1, 1903 



Evictions in Ireland 



A PARLIAMENTARY Paper show- 
ing how farms from which ten- 
ants were evicted on various 
estates In Ireland since May 1, 1879, 
were occupied (1) at the time of the 
inquiry of the Evicted Tenants' Com- 
mission, and (2) on May 1, 1903, has 
been laid on the table of the House of 
Commons. 

The paper deals with 17 estates In 
different parts of the country. It 
shows that out of a total of 1,451 farms 
in which evictions were carried out at 
various periods, 338 had on May 1 last 
been relet to new tenants, 24 had been 
purchased by new tenants; 678 of the 
former holders had been reinstated, 
and 329 had been purchased by the old 
tenants. 

On the estate of the Marquis of Clan- 
ricarde out of 254 evicted farms 129 
had been let to new tenants, and 97 of 
the former tenants had oeen reinstat- 
ed, but no purchases by either class 
had been made. 

Fifty-one evictions had been effected . 
on the estate of Peter de Penthony 
O'Kelly, but the estate has been sold, 
the former tenants being the purchas- 
ers in every instance. 

On the estate of Charles W. T. Pon- 
sonby the number of evictions were 
243. Fourteen of the farms are In the 
possession of new tenants, and 226 of 
the old tenants have purchased. 

Out of a total of 111 evictions on the 
Smith-Barry estate 99 of the former 
tenants have regained possession of 
their farms, and there are 10 farms let 
to new tenants, but there have been no 
purchases. 

On the Marquis of Lansdowne's es- 
tate there were 60 evictions. Twenty- 
four of the farms have passed to new 
tenants, 23 have purchased, and eight 
of the old tenants who were reinstated 
have also purchased. 

On the estate of Mr. G. F. Brooke out 
of a total of 87 evictions there were 24 
reinstatements and 56 of the farms are 
in the possession of new tenants. A 
somewhat similar state of things pre- 
vails on the estate of Viscount Masse- 
reene, where there were 68 evictions 
and 14 reinstatements, 52 of the farms 
being re-let to new tenants. 

On the estate of Lord Cloncurry 
there were 37 evictions and 34 rein- 
statements, the remaining three farms 
being held by new tenants. 

Out of 47 evictions on the property 
of Mrs. Hannah Lewis there have been 
24 reinstatements, the remaining hold- 
ings being without tenants. 

On the property of Michael D. Keat- 
inge and Maurice D. Keatinge there 
were 12 evictions. None of the farms 



have passed to new tenants, and only 
one of the former holders has been re- 
instated. 

All the evicted holdings on the estate 
of The O'Grady are now tenanted, 
three being in the possession of the 
former holders, and three being new 
tenancies, while ten of the old tenants 
have purchased their farms. 

On the estate of Mr. James E. Byrne 
there were nine evictions, and the 
farms have not been re-let to any ten- 
ants, while on the estate of Mr. Arthur 
Langford four tenants who were evict- 
ed have purchased their holdings. 

There were in all 326 evictions on the 
Wylvants Olphert property. Twenty- 
one new tenancies now exist, and 305 
of the old tenants have regained pos- 
session of their holdings. 

Out of 16 evictions on the estate of 
John H. Swiney, eight of the old ten- 
ants have purchased, seven others have 
been reinstated, and one farm Is pur- 
chased by a new tenant. 

On the estate of Mrs. Anne Stewart 
there were 56 evictions. The holdings 
all being re-let, four to new tenants 
and 52 to the former occupiers. 

On the estate of Mr. Wm. AncketiU, 
the last one treated of, 54 tenants were 
evicted. Thirteen of the farms have 
been re-let to new tenants; 18 of the 
evicted tenants have been reinstated, 
and 22 have purchased their holdings. 



Poetical Concession* 

SIR WALTER SCOTT was asked 
why he had made Ellen Douglass 
the Lady of the Lake. 
"Because," he replied, "if I had made 
her the Lady of the River, there might 
have been a run on the bank." 

Realizing the poet's pecuniary condi- 
tions, his friends congratulated him on 
his foresight 



Capacity and Tact* 

MR. HENNESY— "I'm afraid I'm 
losing my mind. When I bor- 
row money from any of my 
friends, I'm sure to forget all about 
It." 

Mr. Dooley— "Why, that is no sign 
of mental decline. On the contrary, it 
shows a fine business capacity." 

Hennesy — "But I also forget when a 
friend owes me something." 

Dooley— "That's all right That's 
tact" 



DoB*t toll to procure Mbs. WmtLOwt SooTHiva 
Btkup for jcmr Ontldron whllo oauins tooth It 
■ooihM tko ehUd. aoftoaf tho gmwa» allaya all potn, 
earofl wind ooUe. «ad 1« tko best romody for 
dUffrtoM. 



230 



THE GAEL. 



Julr, J903. 




Forty-eight Volumes Given for Ideas* 



IN the March issue of this Magazine 
we offered a series of prizes in the 
form of books to be awarded to the 
persons sending us the most useful 
and most practical ideas tending to 
improve its pages, increase tts circu- 
lation and enlarge and extend its use- 
fulness amongst its readers. 

In response to that Invitation we 
received 753 letters containing advice, 
recommendations, and suggestions 
more or less valuable. A great many, 
of course, contained repetitions of ideas 
suggested by others, but all were evi- 
dently sent in the most friendly and 
appreciative spirit, and we take oppor- 
tunity to sincerely thank the kind 
friends who wrote them. 

Our original offer was iwenty-flve 
volumes, but we have increased the 
award to forty-eight volumes, and if 
the recipients experience half the plea- 
sure in receiving them that we have 
felt in sending them, we will be repaid 
an hundred fold. 

Of the large number of suggestions 
offered many are considered good, but 
for various reasons not necessary to 
particularize cannot be utilized. Only 
a few of the letters have been pub- 
lished. 

The editor of THE GAEL, in the 
nature of things, is the best judge of 
the value and practicability of the 
ideas offered and has made the follow- 
ing awards: 

FIRST PRIZE. TEN VOLUMES. 

Awarded to Mr. James F. Byrne, 

Tarvin, Oranmore Co., Gal way, Ire- 
land. 

1 — A Literary History of Ireland from 
the Earliest Period to the Present 
Day. By Douglas Hyde, LL.D., M. 
R. I. A. 

2 — Ireland, Industrial and Agricultu- 
ral. Profusely illustrated with over 
100 full-page plates, maps, diagrams, 
etc. 

3— Tom Burke of Ours. By Charles 
Lever. Illustrated edition, 2 vol- 
umes in one. 

4 — A Reading Book in Irish History. 
By P. W. Joyce, LL.D., with illus- 
trations. 

6 — Luke Delmege, a Story of Irish 
Life. By Rev. Father Sheehan, au- 
thor of "My New Curate," etc. 

6— Ballads in Prose. By Norah Hopper. 

7— The Elf-Errant. By Moira O'Neill. 

8— My Lady's Slipper. By Dora Siger- 
son. 

9— Irish Mist and Sunshine, Ballads 
and Lyrics. By Rev. James B. Dol- 
lard (Sliav-na-mon). 

10— The Spanish Wine; a Tale of Dun- 
luce Castle. By Frank Mathew. 



SECOND PRIZE. EIGHT VOLUMES. 

Awarded to Rev. Percy Robinson, 

Stanfordville, N. Y. 

1 — Old Celtic Romances. Twelve of 
the most beautiful of the Ancient 
Romantic Tales, Translated from the 
Gaelic by P. W. Joyce, LL.D. 

2 and 3— Origin and History of Irish 
Names and Places. By P. W. Joyce, 
LL.D. I A volumes). 

4— The Four Winds of Erin (Poems). 
By Ethna Carberry. 

5 — Songs of Old Ireland. A collection 
of fifty Irish melodies. Words and 
Mnslc. 

6 — The Courtship of Ferb. An old 
Irish Romance translated from the 
Book of Leonster. By A. H. Leahy. 
(Volume 1, "Irish Saga Library"). 

7— Castle Rackrent and the Absentee. 
By Maria Edgeworth. Illustrated by 
Chris Hammond. 

8— Charles O'Malley, the Irish Dra- 
goon. By CJharles Lever. Illustrat- 
ed edition. 

THIRD PRIZE. SEVEN VOLUMES. 

Awarded to Miss E. R. Cox, 213 East 

40th Street, New York City. 

1— Irish Scholars in the Penal Days. 
By Rev. William P. Treacy. 

2— The Vicar of Wakefield. By Oliver 
Goldsmith, with thirty-two illustra- 
tions by William Mulready, R. A. 

3 and 4— History of Ireland. By 
Thomas D'Arcy McGee. (2 volumes). 

5 — Poems of Thomas Davis with Notes, 
Historical Illustrations, etc., and an 
introduction by John Mitchell. 

6— The Collegians, a Tale of Garrowen. 
By Gerald Griffin. 

7— Turf-Tire Stories and Fairy Tales 
of Ireland. By Barry O'Connor. 

ADDITIONAL PRIZES. 

Among the hundreds of letters re- 
ceived there were many which con- 
tained one or more excellent ideas, 
which if not practicable or timely now, 
may be used or adapted later on. From 
these we have selected twenty-two 
which we consider worthy of "honor- 
able mention" to the senders of which 
we have sent each a single volume to- 
gether with a brief letter of thanks in 
which we take opportunity to ack- 
knowledge our appreciation of their 
kindness and good will. 
1— Thomas Coan, 16 Ripley St., Wal- 
tham, Mass. "Samuel Bayne's on 
an Irish Jaunting Car." 
2— Patrick Cooney, 607% So. 6th St., 
Reading, Pa. "Willy Reilly and 
his Colleen Bawn." Carleton. 
3— Rev. T. E. Ryan, Harrisville, R. I. 
Justin McCarthy's "History of Our 
Own Times." 2 Vols. 
4— D. A. McCarthy, East Cambridge, 



N. Y. "Where There is Nothing," 
by W. B. Yeats. 
5— Miss Nellie Condon, 31 East 57th 
St., New York. "Lallah Rooke," 
by Thomas Moore. 
6— B. Regan. 108 East 86th St., New 
York. "The Squireen," by Shan 
F. Bullock. 
7— Mrs. Eleanor Morgan, 13 Living- 
ston Place, Brooklyn, N. Y. "Ire- 
land, Agricultural and Industrial." 
8— Patrick J. Carpenter, Blackditch- 
Duleek, Co. Meath, Ireland. "Ker- 
rigan's Quality," by Jane Barlow. 
»— D. O'Donovan, St. Croix, Perry Co., 
Indiana. "Charles O'Malley the 
Irish Dragoon." Lever. 
10— J. Long, 11 St. John St.. London, 
N., England. "In the Wake of 
King James." Standish O'Grady. 
11— James Shields, 139 Christopher St.. 
New York. Jane Barlow's "Stran- 
gers at Lisconnel." 
12— William Lawson, Douglas Island, 
Alaska. "A Lad of the O'Friels," 
by Seamus MacManus. 
13— John MacDuffie. the MacDufBe 
School, Springfield, Mass. "On an 
Irish Jaunting Car Through Done- 
gal and Connemara." 
14— J. J. Hughes, 54 Emily St., Phila- 
delphia, Pa. "The Croppy, a Tale 
of 1798," by John Banim. 
15— Andrew O'Kane, 62 Washington St., 
Greenfield, Mass. "Traits and 
Stories of the Irish Peasantry," by 
William Carleton. 
16— J. C. Brennan, 4402 So. 13th St, 
Omaha, Neb. "Fate and Fortunes 
of O'Neills and O'Donnells." 
17— John Egan. Cambridge. Mass. 
"Rory O'More," by Samuel Lover. 
18— B. Abnis, 28 McDonnell Sq.. Tor- 
onto, Canada. "Legends and Fairy 
Tales of Ireland." 
19— John O'Carroll Robinson, 1911 
Pleasant St., Fall River, Mass. 
"Irish Fireside Stories, Tales and 
Legends." 
20 — Eugene O'Donovan, New Haven, 
Penn. "Sally Kavanagh," by 
Charles Kickham. 
21— James Quinn, Garberville, Hum- 
boldt Co., California. "The Colle- 
gians," by Gerald Griffin. 
22— M. H. Brennan, Devil's Lake, North 
Dakota. "Baynes Donegal and 
Connemara." 
The volumes have all been sent out. 
Mr. Byrne's books have been for- 
warded via the American Express 
Company. The others were sent by 
mail. We respectfully beg to call atten- 
tion to a new competition w^^^^l^ "^^^ 
be found on anoiher page.|-vl/> 
Digitized byt *^ ^ Ql\C 



July, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 




sells gle-Ann^ ^n smóil. 

-A5 c|iiAtl 6um rellje mAix)ln ceóx>AC 
50 5leAnn An Smóit \\e á\\ tija-oaiii 50 
tno6, 

t)A moll Á|t iiT)ó6Af Ap tuAf Á|t jcon. 

"Oo t>^ SjeótÁn If bfiATi A|t éilt 
A5 "pionn itei-o 1 n-A "óóx-o ; 
x)o bi A 6Ú A5 5AC nx)uine T)o'n "féinn, 
If Á|i njA-ÓAiit béit-binn aj -oeAnAiri ceóit. 

"Oo 5luAifeAtnA|t 6utn cu16a of cionn 
5leAnnA, 
xr\A\\ A|t b'Aoibinti -ouitleAbAit A]i ófiAinn 

^5 rÁf ; 
bí éAtilAic fUAijic A5 ceiteAt>A|i Ann 
'fAn 6ua6 50 ceól-blnn Ann jaó Á|ix). 

"Oo téi5 A jtAbAmAji Ann -oo'n f éinn 

Áfi jconAiftc tuAic téitnneAá fÁ'n 

njlCAnn ; 
•Oo fjAoil ponn a 'óá 5AT)A|t "oeAj 
If bA binne tinn nÁ céAT)A a ngÍAm. 

•OúifceAii leoAn eilíc mAol, 
bA jile A cAob nÁ caIa A|t linn ; 
aVi CAob eile x)! a]i -oac An juAil, 
If bA luAite í nÁ feAbAC a|i coilt. 

"Oo fjAOit 5a6 n-ouine 'jAinn a cú x»a 
beill, 
if t>o f5AOit ponn féin bfAn ; 
T)' imci5eAT)A|t Af Áf n-AiiiAjic 50 teiji, 
If bA bcAj Á|i njAOf ceAéc nA njAji. 

If nió|t An c-ionjnAT) do jiinn An f í 
•oo'n eitic thAoit f Á n-A tuAf ; 
le n-A|t fÁf «15 mAiccAf con nA jcfiíoé, 
If t>f An, f lAfh nÁf téij fC'tS uahó. 

O iho6niAiT)ne bA Tnó|t ,mi fiA-ÓAÓ, 
T>o tcAn 50 T)iAn An er.*r luAit; 
50 x)cÁini5 o|tAinn xtub ha boi'óée. 
If nAÓ bf ACAniA|t 5AX)A|i nA cú. 



(Literal Translation.) 

The Chase of Gleann an Smoil. 

GOING to the chase on a misty 
morning 
To Gleann an Smoil early with 
our hounds, 

Great were our hopes in the fleetness 
of our dogs. 

Sgeolan and Bran were leash er 

In mild Fionn's hand; 

Bach of the Flann had his own hound. 

And our sweet-tongued dogs in full cry. 

We proceeded to a hill above a glen, 
Where sweet blossoms grew on trees; 



Pleasant birds were warbling there, 
And the sweet-toned cuckoo on everj' 
side. 

All of the Fiann, who were assembled 

there. 
Let loose their swift hounds in the 

glen; 
Fionn loosened his twelve dogs. 
And sweeter to us than harp strings 

was their howl. 

A young doe was started by them, 
Her side was whiter than a swan on a 

lake; 
The other side was dark as coal, 
And more swift was she than a hawk 

in the wood. 

Each of us loosened his hound from its 

leash. 
And Fionn himself let go Bran; 
They departed from our sight. 
And small was our chance of nearing 

them. 

Great was the amazement of the King, 
At the fleetness of the young doe; 
In which she outstripped the best 

hounds in the land, 
Even Bran, who never lost a chase. 

From morn's dawn great was the 

chase, 
In quick pursuit of the swift doe; 
Until the darkness of the night came 

upon us. 
And we did not see a hound or dog. 



stie^StiAn t>liuiT)lie. 



fn'fhAT)chuif fe chf Aoóh"OA nA fCAf A-choin 

AOft)A, 

-Ai|t ÍAnnAibh but>h léif A'f Aif lÁmhAch 

fAÍjhlOCC, 

•Oo jhlAnf AT)h Af eifinn niAf •OhArnvV.»]» 
nA méif ticb, 
'S Af ni-bAilrex)o fbAOf A-oh ó Áf t)-cbíof : 
•OÁ niAiffeAX)b nA "pémne 'f Af n-Afm 
bbeicii feúnmhAf, 
A\\ njAif m bux)h CféunmhAf A5 cf Achc 
ríof, 
'S Af mAifj "oo bhéuf f AT)b leAf-Amm Aif 
ShéuflAf 
50 m-bAmfCA-oh a félm cbeAfC -oe 
SbeÁjbAn l)huÍT)he. 

•Oo cAitlcAXjh te cf éimhfe Af 5-ceAllA t 
cbéile, 
O T)'eAfj;Aif nA fAol-choin a bh-pAil- 
chfíocb, — 
Do tcAjA-OAf tAochf A cbum CAchA bu-oh 
chféme, — 
tli'l Acbc cfeAchA-oh Ajuf céuf AT)h Ajuf 
Cf Á*ob cf oitibe : 



If Áf T) ACÁ An béuf Ia 'f jAn CApAix)b Y An 
n-5Aox)bAít5e, 
If bAlbh A|t n-eijfi A5 jnÁcb-cbAOÍDb, 
50 T)-CA5A'ob lÁ éisin CAf f Aifje Séuf lAf, 
"Oo bbAmfeAf a féini-cheAfC x>e SbeÁ- 
5b An t)huÍT)he. 

tTlAf cheAnjmhAi-ob if méAÍA, CAf cAlAich 

juf bh'éijcAn 
•Oo'n b-f bAf Aif e cbf éijbcbeAch-fo f Ác- 

bAX)b A f if, 
te ceAtj 'f le cl*AonAX)b nA b-Aicme nAcb 

T)éAff AX) 

Cbu5 bAnbbA T)éiif ACb mAf cÁ f í : 
-Aiccbim A'f éijbmbini Aif AcbAif An Aén- 
mbeic, 
5ÍT)h AcbAif jAcb Aen-neicb An c-^fx)- 

50 5-CAf At)h Af Séuf lAf 'f An t)bAnbbA 30 

jléufOA, 

T)*o bbAmfCAf a féim-cbeAfc -oe SheÁ- 
jHao t)h í-obe. 

(Translation. 

Shane Buh* 
(An Oid Irish Jacobite Song.) 

Oh where are the heroes — the lights of 

our story. 
Our land from the Dane that defended? 
Could death yield them back, with 

their bright wreath of glory. 
One more living leaf might be blended; 
Could our pray'rs the proud Finians 

recall from their slumber 
Oh the pride of the world we'd again be! 
Not a foe to our prince Erin's soil 

should encumber. 
And woe to the power of Shrine Bui, 

The shrines of our faith are destroyed 
and polluted. 

By treacherous wolves that assailed us; 

The race of our mighty is fall'n and 
uprooted — 

Oh weep, for our high hope has failed us. 

Rude Jargon our sweet native lan- 
guage supplanting; 

Mute, mute, shall the harp's thrilling 
strain be; 

Till Charles, with his flag on the ocean 
breeze flaunting 

Shall humble the power of Shant Bui, 

Oh sad is my heart that for exile and 

danger 
Our generous prince should have left us 
But Banba's wild curse shall alight on 

the stranger. 
Whose perfidy thus hath bereft us; 
Dread Avenger Supreme! hear my 

soul's supplication! 
Swift, swift let his course o'er the 

main be 
Our Charles shall bind up the deep 
wounds of the nation. 
And Erin exult over Shane Bui. 
♦Literally Yellow John (John Bull). 



232 



THE GAEL* 



July, J903* 




MESSRS. DUCKWORTH & CO., 
London, announce "The Orrery 
Papers," by the Countess ot 
Cork and Orrery. 2 vols., demy 8vo. 
With twenty-three photogravures. 
Price, 428. net 



A CONST ABLE & CO., London, an- 
nounce "Castle Omeragh," by 
Frankfort Moore, author of 
"The Jessamy Bride." "A story of the 
days of Cromwell in Ireland, told with 
i^emarkable force and feeling and true 
appreciation of the Irish character." 



MR. FISHER UNWIN. London, an- 
nounces "British Political Lead- 
ers," by Justin McCarthy. Il- 
lustrated from photographs. Large 
crown 8vo., cloth, 7s. 6d. net The men 
written about in this volume are Ar- 
thur James Balfour, Lord Salisbury, 
Lord Roseberry, Joseph Chamberlain, 
John Morley, Sir William Harcourt, 
Lord Aberdeen, Sir Henry Campbell- 
Bannerman, John Burns, John E. Red- 
mond, Sir Michael Hicks Beach, James 
Bryce and Henry Labouchere. 



^^TRELAND Under Elizabeth," Chap- 
I ters towards a History of Ireland 
in the Reign of Elizabeth. Be- 
ing a Portion of the History of Cath- 
olic Ireland, by Don Philip O'SulUvan 
Beare. Translated from the original 
Latin by Matthew J. Byrne. Dublin: 
Sealy, Bryers & Walker. Price, 7s. 6d. 
Mr. Byrne's . book is one which is 
packed full of interest for the student 
of Irish history. It will help him to a 
closer acquaintanceship with some of 
the great names which figured in the 
tumultuous days of Elizabethan Ire- 
land, and will assist him in some de- 
gree to understand how by their lack 
of national cohesion the Irish became 
a conquered people. 

MR. FISHER UNWIN, London, has 
arranged to publish a volume 
by Prof. MahafTy on the early 
history of Trinity College. Dublin. 
The period covered is that from 1590 
to 1660, and the book may be said to 
be an educational and religious history 
of the country, written from the point 
of view of the founding and early his- 
tory of the College. 

The author has especially endeavor- 
ed to preserve a just and sympathetic 
attitude towards the Roman Catholic 
Church, which maintained, and ulti- 



mately conquered in, a most difficult 
struggle by holding the hearts of the 
people. 

As a companion to Dr. Mahafiy's 
work, Mr. Unwin will also publish (in 
quarto form) a volume containing the 
"Particular Book of Trinity College, 
Dublin," the old entries and accounts 
in which shed much light on the early 
days of the College. 



CJ. CLAY & SONS, Cambridge 
University Press, London, an- 
nounces "The History of Scot- 
land," by P. Hume Brown, M. A., LL. 
D., Fraser Professor of Ancient (Scot- 
tish) History and Paleography in the 
University of Edinburgh. 

Vol. I. — To the Accession of Mary 
Stewart With 7 Maps. Crown 8vo, 68. 
Vol. II. — From the Accession of Mary 
Stewart to the Revolution of 1689. 
With 4 Maps and Plans. Crown 8vo, 6s. 
Vol. III. — From the Revolution of 
1689 to the Disruption of 1843. ■ 



MR. W. B. YEATS dedicates his 
play "Where There Is Noth- 
ing," to Lady Gregory. Mr. 
Yeats says: "When I was a boy I used 
to wander about at Rosses Point and 
Ballisodare listening to old songs and 
stories." He wrote down what he 
heard, and then went to London to 
make a living. But he began to for- 
get "the true countenance of country 
life": 

"The old tales were still alive for 
me indeed, but with a* new, strange, 
half-unreal life, as if in a wizard's 
glass, until at last, when I had finish- 
ed 'The Secret Rose' and was half-way 
through 'The Wind Among the Reeds," 
a wise woman in her trance told me 
that my inspiration was from the 
moon, and that I should always live 
close to water, for my work was get- 
ting too full of those little Jewelled 
thoughts that come from the sun and 
have no nation." 



SIR JOHN MOORE, the English sol- 
died whose death at Coruna evok- 
ed from Charles Wolfe one of the 
most memorable poems in the English 
language, left behind him a MS. diary 
which is only now to be published. 

It extends, we are told, from Decem- 
ber 5th, 1792, to December 24th, 1808, 
and covers the whole period from the 
siege of Toulon to Moore's advance on 



Sahagun, twenty-three days before his 
death. 

It deals with the siege of Toulon, at 
which Napoleon's career began, with 
the capture of the West Indian Islands, 
the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the cam- 
paign in Holland in 1799, the campaign 
in Egypt of 1800, in which Sir Ralph 
Abercrombie fell; Moore's creation of 
the Light Division at Shorncliffe, the 
expedition to Sweden, and the cam- 
paign in Spain up to Sahagun. 



THE latest addition to Lippincott's 
Select Novels Series is Mrs. 
Katharine Tynan Hinkson's "A 
Red Red Rose." This is a capital 
novel, in which the two most important 
characters are Introduced in New York 
and then transported to England. 

There is no woman living who can 
tell a love story with the grace, the 
charm and the vivacity that mark Mrs. 
Hinkson's work. She shows what a 
good training the writing of poetry is 
for one who turns to prose. 



AH. BULLEN, Publisher, London, 
announces "Ideas of Good and 
Evil", a book of essays, by W. 
B. Yeats. Crown 8vo. Price, 6s. Like 
Mr. Swinburne and Mr. Meredith, Mr. 
Yeats appeals to us almost as much by 
his fine skill in "that other beauty of 
prose" as by the infinite and delicate 
beauty of his poems. He alone of liv- 
ing writers has the music and the color 
and the light of words; for he alone of 
living writers has the faculty of pro- 
ducing a definite eftect not by the em- 
phasis, but by the delicacy of his as- 
sertions." 



ANEW addition to the ranks of 
Irish Ireland Journalism has 
made its appearance under the 
name of "An Mhuineach Og." The 
Journal is bi-lingual, but the larger and 
more important sections of the paper 
are written in Gaelic. The names of 
several of the most prominent writers 
of Irish are to be found among the con- 
tributors, including Father O'Leary, J. 
J. Doyle, etc. 

The English departments of the 
paper are all written from the Irish 
Ireland standpoint, and treat current 
topics in a manner both well informed 
and virile. "An Mhuineach Og" is 
published in Dunmanway, County 
Cork, and from all accounts has a large 
field of work inflts own province. 
Digitized by Vni. 



July, 1903^ 



THE GAEU 



233 



MR. C. LITTON FALKINER. M. A. 
has Just had published by the 
University Press, Dublin, on 
behalf of the Royal Irish Academy 
the remarkable interesting paper 
which he recently read before that 
body on the "Commercial History of 
Dublin in the Eighteenth Century." 



College, Dublin. Mr. O'Sullivan, like 
Mr. Moore himself, is an instance of 
the unexpected elements that have been 
drawn into the Irish language move- 
ment The Irish is very creditable as 
the work of a student. 



THE Rev. J. A. Knowles. O. S. A., 
has Just had published by 
Messrs. James Duffy & Co., an 
extremely interesting historical sketch 
of Fethard' and its ancient Abbey 
Church. Many memories of a notable 
kind cluster round the little Tipperary 
town, which was once a military 
stronghold of no small importance and 
a borough returning two members to 
the Irish Parliament. 



"N' 



' BW IRELAND," a penny week- 
ly Journal published in Lon- 
don, has passed into the 
hands of the Irish Publishing Com- 
pany, Ltd., 68 Fleet street, London, 
and will henceforth be conducted as a 
high-class review of the industries, 
literature, art, and politics of Ireland. 



AN T-U'r-Ghort Sgealta le Seorsa 
Mordha, aistrighthe ag Padraig 
O Suillebhain. (Dublin: Sealy, 
Bryers & Walker.) 

Many readers will fail to recognize 
in "Seorsa O'Mordha" Mr. George 
Moore, author of "The Celibates," 
"Esther Waters," etc. The volume 
consists of Irish translations of short 
stories which have Just been published 
here in English under, the title of "The 
Untilled Field." 

The translator of one of them is Mr. 
O'Donoghue, the editor of "Irisleabhar 
na Gaedhilge" (The Gaelic Journal), 
while the renderings of the others are 
by Mr. Patrick O'Sulllvan, of Trinity 



STEPHEN GWYNN, author of 
"Highways and Byways In Done- 
gal," has a novel in press with 
the Macmillan Company which Is out 
of the usual order of this author's for- 
mer writings. It Is a romance, the ac- 
tion and scenes of which are placed In 
Spain at the time of the expulsion of 
the Jesuits about twenty-five years 
ago. It will be called "The Pagan at 
the Shrine." 



44^ 



^HREE Irish Airs" is the title 
of a musical publication is- 
sued by the London firm of 
Moore, Smith & Co. The three airs 
are "The Bright Lamp," "Lament for 
Owen Roe O'Neill," and "Avenging 
and Bright," arranged by Mr. Patrick 
Delany, the well-known Dublin mu- 
sician. 
Mr. Delany has arranged the three 



NEW BOOK 

By the Authors of ^^ Some Experiences of an Irish R* M/^ 



ALL ON THE IRISH SHORE: 

IRISH SKETCHES 

By E. QE. SOMERVILLE and MARTIN ROSS, 

Authors of " Some Experience^ of an Irish R. M.*' 
With Illustrations by E. CE. SOMERVILLE. Crown 8vo, $1.50, 



** There is a raciness in the telling of these Irish stories and 
a knowledge of the subtleties of the Irish character that 
charm the reader, and no Irish story- writer since Lever has 
been as successful as- these Xr^o^—Pall Mall Gazette, London. 

** Eleven capital Irish sketches — racy, light hearted, and high- 
spirited, without anything of the clownishly boisterous. Both 
authors love horses and dogs, and the artist can draw them. 
The rustic types, natural in their brogue and modes of 
thought, are a picture-gallery of clever vignettes." — Outlook, 
London. 



LONGMANS, GREEN & CO, 93 5th Ave., N. Y. 



airs for the violin, with aocompani- 
ment for the piano, and in each in- 
stance it can be truthfully said that 
he has given admirable musical inter- 
pretation to the words of the poet 

"The Bright Lamp" is written in 
slow, impressive movement. The true 
glamor is on the music; its delicate 
texture is like a film in the moonlight. 

The arrangement of the "Lament" is 
characteristically Irish. The wail of 
the banshee echoes through the air. 
The introduction is somewhat quaint, 
but the whole impresses one with its 
reality and modernity. 

From this to "Avenging and Bright" 
is a long step in all that constitutes 
style and character. It opens with 
vigor, and throughout the meaning of 
the poet is carefully preserved in the 
spirited violin music and no less spirit- 
ed accompaniment 




MR MICHAEL McDONAQH 

MR. MICHAEL M'DONAGH. who 
writes on "Irish Provincial 
Journalism" in this issue, is 
thus referred to in "Who's Who," the 
annual biographical dictionary of the 
United Kingdom: 

"Author and journalist; born. Lim- 
erick; education. Christian Brothers' 
schools. Became a reporter on a local 
paper at an early age. In his 22d year 
joined the Freeman's Journal,' Dublin; 
and for eight years was one of its spe- 
cial correspondents in Ireland and in 
the Houses of Parliament. For some 
years has been a member of 'The 
Times' Parliamentary staff. He is a 
frequent contributor of articles on Ire- 
land, Press life, and Parliamentary 
history and custom to the magazines. 
A Fellow of the Institute of Journal- 
ists. Publications — "Bishop Doyle," 
"The Book of Parliament," "Irish Life 
and Character," "Parliament: its Ro- 
mance, its Comedy, its Pathos." Clubs 
— National Liberal, Irish Literary So- 
ciety, Connradh na Gaedhilge Lonn- 
duin." 



Digitized by 



Google 



234 



THE GAEL. 



July, J903. 




Twenty-five Volumes for Answers to Questions* 



WE desire to test our readers* familiarity with promi- 
nent or striking events in Irish history, and to that 
end propound a series of twenty miscellaneous 
questions relating to past events in the history of our 
country. 

They are not difficult or profound questions, and can be 
easily looked up in any library containing a good history 
of Ireland. "Annals of the Four Masters,'' a file of THE 
GAEL, and a few other Irish reference books. 

The answers to each must be as brief as possible. It is 
not necessary that ALL questions should be answered. Send 
replies to as many as possible. 

To the person who sends correct replies to all, or to the 
largest number of those questions we will send free of all 
charges a set of 12 Volumes selected from the works of 
Charles Lever. 

To the person sending the second largest number of cor- 
rect replies we will send Dr. Douglas Hyde's "Literary His- 
toi7 of Ireland," Father Dollard's charming book of poems, 
"Irish Mist and Sunshine," and "Ireland, Industrial and 
Agricultural." 

To the ten persons who come next in rotation (according 
to the number of correct replies sent in by them) we will 
send each, free of charge, a handsome volume by some well- 
known Irish author. 

CONDITIONS. 

1. Write only on one side of the paper and attach name 

and address of sender legibly. 

2. Send a coupon cut from the cover of THE GAEL with 

your letter. If the coupon does not accompany the 
replies your letter will not be considered. We ask 
this for the purpose of confining the contest to GAEL 
readers exclusively. 

3. There is no objection to your consulting or seeking in- 

formation concerning the answers to those questions 
^rom members of your family or from your friends. 
The winners will be announced in the September GAEL. 
All replies should be in not later than August 15th. 
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. 

1. Give date of the famous windstorm known as the 

•Night of the Big Wind." 

2. Which is the largest lake In Ireland, and what is its 

superficial area in acres? 

3. The County of Clare originally formed one of the coun- 

ties of Connacht. When was it added to Munster? 

4. What famous Irish poet wrote those lines, and where 

can they be found: 
"Where village statesmen talked with looks profound 
And news much older than their ale went round"? 

5. Where is the 'Joyce Country"? 

6. What became of Devorgil, wife of O'Rourke, Prince of 
Brefni, after she eloped, and when and where did she 

die? 

7. A lady and her son together with two alleged accom- 

plices were imprisoned in Ireland charged with sor- 
cery and witchcraft. One of the men was found 
guilty and burned at the stake. The woman escaped. 
When and where did this take place, and what was 
the name of the woman? 

8. Define briefiy the meaning of the term "Gael." 

9. When and where did Michael Dwyer (the famous 

Wicklow rebel) die, and where is he buried? 

10. When was the Battle of the Curlew Mountains fought, 

and what celebrated English leader was killed there? 

11. The Earls of Ormonde and Desmond were at war (A. 

D. 1462) and a pitched battle was fought between 
them at Pilltown, in the County Kilkenny, where Or- 



monde was defeated with considerable loss. Hii 
kinsman, Mac Richard Butler, was taken prisoner, 
and we may judge of the value of a book and the 
respect for literature in Ireland at that period, from 
the curious fact that a manuscript was offered and ac- 
cepted for his ransom. What did the manuscript 
consist of and where is it now? 

12. By whom, and in what year was the monastery of 

Clonmacnoise founded? 

13. Name the "Tribes of Galway." 

14. When and where did Hugh O'Neill, Prince of Ulster, 
die? 



15. 
16. 

17. 

18. 
19. 

20. 



WTien was the first newspaper issued in Dublin? 

Name the "Four Masters" who compiled the famous 
"Annals," and give date of commencement of that 
great work. 

When and by whom was the Abbey of Multlfamham, 
County Meath, founded? 

When was the treaty of Limerick signed? 

A life-size statue of St. Patrick ornaments the facade 
of a famous church in Rome. Name the church. 

Brian Boru ascended the throne of Munster about 978. 
The following year a new king succeeded to the 
throne of Meath, He captured Dublin from the Danes 
after first defeating them at Tara, and later tont^t 
with Brian, in fact, he fought several battles witn 
Brian. Eventually they met on the shore of Lough 
Ree and made peace. What was that king's name, 
and how did he end his reign? 



The Lass of Ddvinsídc^ 

WHEN first we met, the grass was wet with the deV of 
the Summer morn. 
As Che milked her cow 'neath the blossomed bou^ 
of a spreading old white thorn; 
As the milk-jets rang in her pail she sang, and her voice 
with the blackbird's vied— ^ xi. r^ i 

The colleen ruadh who milked her cow adown by the Del- 
vinside. 

Oh, her eyes are bright as the sun's first light, when it rises 

o'er Knockbrack Hill. 
And her white teeth gleam like the Delvin stream, where it 

tumbles by Mervyn's mill. ^ ^. ^ ^, „ 

You've seen the sun when the day is done behind Mulla- 

teelin hide. 
Then you've seen him wear the gold of her hair who trips 

by the Delvinside. 

Oh, I've sailed east, and I've sailed west, where stormy bil- 
lows roar. 

And girls I've seen, where my paths have been, on many a 
foreign shore; 

But never yet has a maiden met my vision by shore, or 
^*^e, ^ ^ ^^ 

Like the colleen ruadh. who milked her cow adown by the 
Delvinside. 

When first we met the grass was wet with the dew of the 
Summer morn, 

And since that day far I've strayed away from the spread- 
ing old white thorn; 

But soon again, o'er the eastern main I will hasten to claim 
as my bride 

The colleen ruadh who milked her cow adown by the Del- 
vinside. 

— PADRAIG MAC AIRCHILL. 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



July, 1903- 



THE GAEL 



235 




Chicago, 111.. June 14, 1903. 
Editor THE GAEL: 

I ENCLOSE some verses, written by 
me which are set to music by Mr. 
W. C. E. Seeboeck, of Chicago, and 
which are to be included in a school 
book, and also a gift book which the 
Rand & McNally Co. are bringing out 
for me. 

I wish you to publish them and the 
plagiarism by Father Fielding, side by 
side, and accompanied by the state- 
ment which I have made and will 
swear to, and I refer you to Mr. See- 
boeck, who had my manuscript in Oc- 
tober last, and to Mr. Perry, and to the 
"Catholic World," and I can refer you 
to a dozen others in Chicago, to whom 
I read my manuscript long before the 
Rev. Fr. Fielding had dreamed of it. 

The verses which I have called 
"Sea-hin-sea Sea-ho," were written by 
me while on a train bound from the 
White Mountains to Boston last Sep- 



(Original.) 

Sho-heen* She* 

(Lullaby.) 
By Mary Grant O'Sherldan. 

The leprechaun out in the haggard 
Is mending his little red shoon; 
And wee, fairy folk In the meadow 
Dance light 'neath the sheen of the 

moon. 
The brown-throstle nestlings are 

dreaming 
Of love, on the low laurel bough. 
And elfin craft sailing the river 
Have fire pennants fiung from the 

prow. 
Then sleep my heart's birdllng, my 

darling! 
The brown-throstle mother and I 
Together keep watch o'er our loved 

ones 
Sea-hln-sea Sea-ho lullaby. 
(Sho-heen-sho sho-ho lullaby). 

The silver mists curl in the valley, 

And red lilies bend in the dew. 

The drolleen sings out in the hedge- 
row. 

The drolleen, he sings love for you! 

The white, powdered wings of the 
night-moth 

Flit down to the half-opened rose; 

And mother will kiss your dear eye- 
lids. 

And seal them with love when they 
close. 

Then sleep my heart's flower, my dar- 
ling, 

The moon o'er the mountain hangs 
low, 

And brown-throstles peep in their 
dreaming. 

Sea-hin-sea, sea-hin-sea, sea-ho. 
Boston. September, 1902. 



Corresponcience* 

tember, and were shown by me to Mr. 
Bliss Perry, editor of the "Atlantic 
Monthly." Mr. Perry said they were 
"charming verses." I afterward sent 
them to the editor of "The Catholic 
World." 

Not being able to read Gaelic, I 
wished to know the exact pronuncia- 
tion of "Sea-ho," and knowing the 
whippoorwill, a bird I had named In 
my original draft, did not sing in Ire- 
land and also wishing that the song 
should have Gaelic "local color" I ask- 
ed the Rev. J. K. Fielding of the Chi- 
cago Gaelic League, for information. 
He asked me to let him see the manu- 
script of my song. I sent It to him and 
he had it in his possession for several 
weeks. When I went to get it from 
him, he had taken the liberty of writ- 
ing a plagiarism, appropriating my 
idea, which, as Matthew Arnold says, 
"Is everything in poetry." 

The entire design, plan, Incidents, 



(Plagiarism.) 

The Irish Mother's Lullaby^ 

By Father Fielding. 
(J. K. Fielding of Chicago Gaelic 

League.) 
The leprechaun out in the haggard 
Is mending his little red shoe. 
Away to the hills he will hie him 
He's looking mavourneen for you. 
The sheeogs are coming alanna, 
I hear them anearing the door. 
The Banshee is now at the window, 
Sea-hin-sea, sea-hin-sea, astoir. 

(Chorus.) 

Then sleep until morning my darling. 
The fairies with daylight must go, 
They're waiting and watching to steal 

you, 
Sea-hin-sea, sea-hin-sea, sea-ho. 

The wind through the keyhole is blow- 
ing. 
The Banshee is combing her hair 
And keening for somebody's darling. 
Then sleep, dear, I'll watcn you with 

care, 
Shure dreoilin is snug in the holly 
The preachan will watch on the tree. 
Then sleep until daylight, my darling. 
The angels will watch you with me. 

(Chorus.) 

Then sleep until morning my darling. 
The fairies with daylight must go. 
They're waiting and watching to steal 

you, 
Sea-hin-sea, sea-hin-sea Sea-ho. 

St. Patrick's Day, 1903. 
Published in June number of "The 
Liberator," Chicago. 



phraseology, etc., he has unblushingly 
imitated and begins his plagiarism by 
adopting bodily my two first lines, with 
the exception of using the singlar shoe, 
where I have used shoon. He has pub- 
lished them over his signature in the 
"Liberator," Chicago, June issue. 

I leave the public to judge whether 
the Rev. Fr. Fielding is justified in 
presenting to them as original matter 
his production written after he had 
had access to my unpublished manu* 
script — manuscript which was written 
six months prior to his having seen it. 

I will be greatly pleased if you will 
print this letter. I am a daughter of 
Daniel O'Sherldan, of Madison. Wis. 
You will find an article of mine in 
"The Dolphin." If I cannot have re- 
dress this way, I must resort to legal 
means. 

Yours most sincerely, 
MARY GRANT O'SHERIDAN, 
4005 Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111. 



The Irish Gub Incorporated^ 

THE Irish Club of New York City 
was incorporated at Albany on 
June 8th, to conduct a club for 
men of Irish birth or lineage, to co- 
operate in redeeming the national and 
material interests of the Irish race 
from the wreck and spoliation of cen- 
turies of British rule in Ireland and 
perpetuate the friendly relations which 
have existed beti^een the people of 
Ireland and this Republic since its 
foundation. 

The directors are John J. Rooney, 
James Burke, Patrick Gallagher, J. P. 
McWalters, David Nugent and Dr. J. 
L. C. O'Donoghue of New York City, 
and J. B. Murphy, of Brooklyn, N. Y. 



A dtholic Centenary* 

ON May 15th last the Roman Cath- 
olic Church celebrated the cen- 
tenary of its establishment in 
Australia. Three Irish Catholic priests 
and one Protestant minister were 
transported to Australia in 1798, as a 
result of their connection with the re- 
bellion of that year. 

The Protestant minister was allowed 
to resume his ministerial duties imme- 
diately on landing, but it was not un- 
til May 15th. 1803, that one of the 
priests, the Rev. James Dixon, was 
permitted to officiate at mass. A con- 
vict made a tin chalice for the occa- 
sion, and the vestments were fashioned 
out of damask curtains. 

To-day the Roman Catholic Church 
in Australia has one cardinal, four 
archbishops, nearly a score of prelates, 
hundreds of priest^nd a million com- 

manIcant^^^^^y(^OOgle 



236 



The Gael 



Entered at New York Pott Office as Second-cbst Matter. 

Postage free to any point in the United States^ 
Mexico or Canada. 

PUBUSHED MONTHLY BY 

THE GAEL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

140 Nassau Street, New York. 

/ViVtf.— Subscription $1.00 per vear. Slng^Ie copies 
lU cents. Subscriptions from Ireland, England and 
Scotland, 5 shillings per year. 

Remittance must accompany each Subscription and 
may be sent by Check, Registered Letter, or Money- 
Order. Stamps or currency may be sent, but at the 
sender's risk. 

Subscriptions commence with the current Issue. 
Change of Address should, in all cases, be accom- 
panied by the oid address as well as tiie new. 

The date of expiration of each Subscription la 
printed on the address labd on the wrapper each 
month. To «isure a continuance of the Magazine 
subscriptions should be promptly renewed. 

pw Persons desiring the return of their manuscripts. 
If not accepted, should send a stamped and directed 
envelope. We cannot, however, hold ourselves 
responsible for the safe return of uninvited MSS. 
Authors should preserve a copy. 

ADVERTISING RATES UPON APPLICATION. 



A WRITER in the London Spectator 
recently said that Ireland ur- 
gently needs a Sir Walter Scott 
to describe her beautiful scenery and 
weave a thread of historic romance 
around her crumbling monasteries and 
dismantled castles. It is entirely pos- 
sible that a series of Irish historic 
novels written in English by a gifted 
pen would do much to popularize Ire- 
land in the minds of English speaking 
people the world over, but — there are 
obstacles. 

Anyone at all familiar with Irish his- 
tory knows that it is extremely difla- 
cult to find any episode in which the 
English invader appears to advantage. 
There is nothing but a long series of 
chapters of robberies, spoliations and 
confiscations on the part of the in- 
vader. These are not palatable to 
English readers, therefore historic 
facts of the complexion which would 
best suit English taste in literature do 
not exist consequently there is little 
chance for an Irish "Sir Walter" to 
appear. 

In his absence we present in this 
number a story by Mr. Standish 
O'Grady, "The Battle of the Curlew 
Mountains," which because of its his- 
torical accuracy, deserves to be widely 
read. Mr. O'Grady's works are not 
very well known In America, but we 
hope to popularize them by occasional- 
ly printing one of his short stories. 



WE learn from our correspondent 
in Dublin that the Executive 
Commottee of the Gaelic 
League in Ireland received a letter re- 
cently from the Rev. Richard Henebry, 
one time Professor of Gaelic at the 
Catholic University, Washington, D. 
C, in relation to the removal of the 
remains of the late Father 0*Growney 
to Ireland, in which removal it seems 
he is anxious to participate. 



THE GAEL 

The Executive Committee, we are 
informed, instructed their Secretary to 
refer the communication to the Gaelic 
League in America. What disposition 
has since been made of the letter we 
have not heard, but Inasmuch as there 
Is no recognized central organization 
of the Gaelic League in this country, 
we presume the communication Is still 
in Dublin. 

It will be remembered that in THE 
GAEL, December, 1901, we started a 
fund for the purpose of raising suffi- 
cient money to defray the expense of 
removing the remains from California 
to Ireland. 

The fund has been raised, the sum 
we started out to collect has been gath- 
ered and Is in hand, but the Gaelic 
League as a National organization or 
as a central governing body in this 
country does not exist. It is true, 
there is a gentleman, without follow- 
ing, in Philadelphia, who claims to be 
the President of the Gaelic League In 
America but, in view of the fact, that 
he was elected irregularly and Illegal- 
ly, and has been openly repudiated by 
nearly every branch of the Gaelic 
League In his own city, as well as in 
other cities in the East, he is not rec- 
ognized as the President of the or- 
ganization. 

He is the gentleman who occupied a 
box at the theatre where "McFadden's 
Flats" was played the night the per- 
formers were rotten-egged by members 
of the Irish Societies of Philadelphia. 
On that occasion he gave out an inter- 
view to the newspapers in which he 
stated he saw nothing objectionable in 
the play, and his countrymen were at 
fauic in causing the disturbance! 

It win also be remembered that at 
the Gaelic League Convention assem- 
bled in Philadelphia last year two dele- 
gates came on from California and at- 
tempted to cast 33 votes, which was 
not permitted, and two rival delega- 
tions came on from Chicago each 
claiming to be the real bona fide article 
and as their claims could not be peace- 
ably adjudicated, the meeting ended in 
a row and was adjourned until next day. 

After the adjournment certain dele- 
gates returned to the hall and elected 
(?) officers, wrhlch since then have 
been falsely claiming to represent the 
Gaelic League in America. 

The disgraceful rowdyism exhibited 
at that convention disgusted a large 
number of members and there are 
many who abandoned the movement 
because of it. 

After the Gaelic League as a Na- 
tional organization had been disrupted 
the usurpers then turned their atten- 
tion to the O'Growney Fund and have 
made every possible effort short of 
highway robbery to get control of it 

Their object Is to exploit and glorify 
themselves at the expense of the fund 
by posing as pall-bearers self-appoint- 
ed, to accompany the remains to Ire- 
land. This they consider a "vindica- 
tion" of their illegal and unprincipled 
actions In tae past. 

The Editor of THE GAEL as custo- 
dian of the Fund Is most anxious to 
have the wishes of the contributors 
carried out. He Is impatient at the 



July. 1903. 



enforced delay and has done everr- 
thing possible to hasten matters. THE* 
GAEL has at no time desired to acu- 
point anyone as pall-bearer and has no 
name to suggest for that honor, but it 
started the fund and must insist that 
the ceremony of removal is carried out 
if not by the Gaelic League in America 
then by some other representative Irish 
organization with ail due respect and 
solemnity, and therefore, is opposed to 
the self-seekers and factionists who 
want to use the removal for their owa 
personal rehabilitation. 

Some three months ago the Editor 
of THE GAEL had a conference with 
the National President and Secretary 
of the Ancient Order of Hibemians. 
during which he suggested that the A. 
O. H. take charge of the removal for 
these reasons: 

The A. O. H. Is numerically the larg- 
est and most influential Irish organi- 
ssation in America. It encourages and 
promotes the study of the Irish lan- 
guage, Irish history, Irish music, lit- 
erature, art, etc. It made the first 
practical move towards preserving the 
Irish language by donating the hand- 
some sum of $50,000 with which to 
found and maintain a Chair of Celtic 
at the Catholic University, Washing- 
ton. It is a thoroughly representative 
Irish organization, and as there Is at 
present nothing left of the Gaelic 
League governing body but a few rem- 
nants of factions, it Is meet and prop- 
er that the Ancient Order should be in- 
vited to step in and take charge of the 
removal. 

If the A. O. H. will accept the charge 
THE GAEL will at once turn over the 
O'Growney Fund to their National 
Treasurer and assist them in every 
way possible. 

Mr. Dolan, the National President, 
said he would like to take a little time 
to consider the matter, and asked that 
the proposition be formally submitted 
to the A. 0. H. Executive at their 
meeting next month. This will be 
done and it is sincerely to be hoped 
that the banner Irish organization of 
America may see its way to taking 
charge of the removal of the illustrious 
dead. 

In handing over the O'Growney B^- 
neral Fund the only condition Imposed 
is that no one connected directly or 
indirectly with either of the factions 
into which the Gaelic League in 
America has split shall be appointed 
or selected to accompany the remains 
in any capacity. 



SUBSCRIBERS to THE GAEL will 
each find enclosed in their copy 
of this magazine a small pink 
subscription blank which they are re- 
spectfully requested . to hand to some 
friend with' a view to inducing them 
to become subscribers to it. 

In introducing THE GAEL they are 
doing a favor to their friends, because 
THE GAEL Is the only distinctively 
Irish literary magazine catering to the 
millions of refined and cultured Irish 
and Irish-Americans in the United 
States and Canada. 

The Boston Pilot says THE GAEL is 
the best Irish ma^^ne in the world. 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



July, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



237 




, Charmingly Acted at the 
Lyceum, New York* 



THE production of a group of three 
short plays by William Butler 
Yeats, the Irish poet and 
dramatist, at Carnegie Lyceum on the 
evenings of June 3d and 4th, under the 
auspices of the Irish Literary Society 




MISS MABEL TALIAFERRO. 

of New York was In many ways an ex- 
ceptional event. 

Rarely has a semi-professional per- 
formance out of season and undertaken 
In the interest of literary art ret^elved 
such respectful attention or aroused 
such hearty applause. The evening 
also had its patriotic side. Loyalty to 
and love for Ireland were constantly 
in evidence. 

The plays were "The Land of Heart's 
Desire," a symbolistic drama; "A Pot 
of Broth," written in the spirit of farce 
and turned on superstition, and "Cath- 
leen-ni-Houlihan," which again went 
back to symbolism and was almost 
tragic in its significance. 

The first play is familiar on the New 
York stage through its performance in 
connection with "In a Balcony" at the 
Knickerbocker Theatre two years ago. 

Two of its roles, The Faery Child by 
Miss Mabel Taliaferro, and Maire 
Bruin, the young wife, by Miss Nora 
O'Brien, were exquisitely played. Mr. 
William Mack, as Father Hart, and 
Mrs. Mary Barker, as the mother-in- 



law, were also excellent. There is a 
weird pathos in this little play, that 
holds you in a thrall which brings you 
perilously close to tears. Miss Talia- 
ferro recited the lyric of the Faery 
Child delightfully. It runs in this 
wise: 

"The wind blows out of the gates of 

the day, 
The wind blows over the lonely of 

heart 
And the lonely of heart is withered 

away, 
While the faeries dance in a place 

apart, 
Shaking their milk-white feet in a 

ring. 
Tossing their milk-white arms in the 

air; 
For they hear the wind laugh, and 

murmur and sing . 
Of a land where even the old are fair. 
And even the wise are merry of 

tongue; 
But 1 hear a reed of Coolaney say, 
*When the wind has laughed and mur- 
mured and sung, 
The lonely of heart must wither 

away!* " 

The second play, "A Pot of Broth," 
made a capital contrast and was excel- 
lently played by Messrs. Townsend 
Walsh, Hugh Cameron and Mrs. Bar- 
ker. It is droll and full of Irish wit. 




Mr. Cameron's brogue was delicious. 
It ought to be preserved In some way 
to serve as a model for all stage Irish- 
men. 

"A Pot of Broth" is the story of a 
crafty beggerman who took advantage 




MRS. MARY BARKER. 



MR TOWNSEND WALSH. 

of an old couple's greediness and su- 
perstition and robbed their larder by 
making them believe that a stone 
which he had picked up to throw at a 
dog possessed the magic power of 
brewing broth out of water. It was 
practically a monologue for Townsend 
Walsh, who, as the beggarman, pre- 
sented the character humorously and 
breezily. 

The final play, "Cathleen-ni-Hooli- 
han" was the story of a patriotic influ- 
ence symbolized by a poor old woman, 
and exerted over a young man about 
to go to the wedding altar. Young 
Michael Gillian is going to wed Delia 
Cahill. and old Peter, Michael's father, 
sits lovingly caressing the golden sov- 
ereigns — Delia's dower. But everybody 
feels something is going to happen. 
An old sad-faced woman enters, begs 
shelter and is given true Irish courtesy 
by the peasants. The visitor (who typi- 
fies Erin) sits by the fire wailing and 
singing strange scraps of song. Strang- 
ers have entered her house, she com- 



238 




MISS NORA O'BRIEN. 

plains, and have seized her lands, and 
she is helpless and unable to drive 
them forth. 

Many have loved her, but those that 
do must die for her, and young Michael 
is strangely drawn toward her, and 
goes out, leaving father and mother 
and bride, and silently follows her. 

Then the people outside are heard 
shouting the news that the French 
have landed at Killala, and then the 
stranger appears with the face of a ra- 
diant girl. She is the symbol of the 
spirit of Ireland. It need not be said, 
and you knew it from the first, and 
feel it, and lean back in the orchestra 
chair, unwilling to break the dream. 

Dorothy Donnelly in the difficult role 
of a beautiful girl, disguised as the old 
woman, acted with much power, her 
excellent elocution being one of the 
features of the evening. Townsend 
Walsh, Joseph A. Wilkes. Frank Mc- 
Gormack and Mary E. Barker com- 
pleted the cast. 

The value of Mr. Yeats* plays lies in 




THE GAEL. 

their polished literary finish, their de- 
finite underlying purpose clotiied in 
symbolism, and their unerring beauty 
of expression. 

A musical setting, Gaelic in spirit 
and significant in meaning, accom- 
panied the action of each play. These 
little plays deserve to rank among the 
few theatrical gems of the season. 

The music was exceptionally well- 
rendered and consisted of: 1. Overture. 
2. Irish Melodies. 3. Introduction and 
incidental music to "The Land of 
Heart's Desire," composed by Mr. Ju- 
lian Edwards. 4. **The Emerald Isle," 
(Sir Arthur Sullivan). 5 Ossianic 
Air. 

The Ossianic Air and the incidental 
music for "A Pot of Broth" and **Cath- 
leen-ni-Hoolihan" were specially ar- 
ranged for these plays by Mr. Henry F. 
Gilbert, from Melodies in Bunting's 
"Ancient Airs of Ireland." 

The Irish Literary Society takes op- 
portunity to express its indebtedness to 
the ladies and gentlemen who have 
kindly given their services in acting 
these plays. 

In addition to the regular meetings 
of the Irish Literary Society of New 
York, at which papers on Irish litera- 
ture, and particularly recent Irish 
literature, both In Irish and in Eng- 
lish, on Irish History, Music and Art, 
will be read and discussed, the Society 
Intends to have special lectures on 
such subjects by eminent scholars, 
American and Irish. It will also pro- 
duce next year some plays by Dr. 
Douglas Hyde in Irish and also In 
English, such as "The Twisting of the 
Rope" and "The Marriage," two plays 
of delightful humor and naturalness, 
and also his two wholly beautiful and 
tender dramas, "The Lost Saint" and 
"The Nativity." In addition to pro- 
ducing tiiese plays, which are in them- 
selves exquisite poema, the Society 
hopes to give other plays by Lady 
Gregory, by A. E. (George W. Rus- 
sell), by W. B. Yeats, Mr. Edward 
Martyn and others. 

Parties desiring Information regard- 
ing membership in the Irish Literary 
Society of New York are requested to 
address the Secretary, Mr. John Qulnn, 
120 Broadway, New York. 



MISS DOROTHY DONNELY. 



Not in Society. 

OF a pretentious but not well read 
dame of the Victorian period. 
Lady Bulwer used to relate this 
Incident: 

The conversation turned on litera- 
ture one day, and this lady, who aimed 
at forming a salon, got rather out of 
her depth. 

"Who is this Dean Swift they are 
talking about?" she whispered at last 
to Lady Bulwer. "I should like to in- 
vite him to one of my receptions." 

"Alas, madam," answered Lady Bul- 
wer, "the Dean did something that has 
shut him out of society." 

"Dear me! What was that?" 

"Well, about a hundred years ago 
he died." 



July, 1903^ 
Successful Irish Farmers. 

PRESIDING at an agriculturists* 
meeting at Belfast recently. Lord 
Londonderry declared that the 
Irish farmer was holding his own with 
English and Scottish competitors, and 
by his energy, ability and zeal he had 
been making more out of his land than 
for some years past The Department 
of Agriculture was taking up the ques- 
tion of flax-growing in Ireland, and he 
appealed to farmers to grow flax of 
such a character as would compete sat- 
isfactorily with that introduced from 
Russia and Belgium. 

Owing to the technical education 
given in foreign countries, Irish agri- 
culturists had dangerous competitors 
against them. His advice to them was 
to follow the foreigners' example and 
thoroughly learn their trade, develop 
the resources of their land, and make 
the most of every Improvement that 
came out. 



Libraries in Ireland. 

WE have received from Messrs. M. 
H. Gill & Son, Dublin, an in- 
teresting pamphlet (52 pp.) en- 
titled "Public Libraries for Ireland," 
in which the general aspect of the sub- 
ject is discussed by Mr. Michael J. 
Gill, B. A., and its legal aspect by Mr. 
W. J. Johnston. M. A., LL. B. 

The object of the writers, as the pre- 
face explains, has been to facilitate 
the movement for the more extended 
adoption of the Public Libraries Acts 
in town and country. The attention of 
members of corporations and local 
councils may be usefully directed to 
this instructive brochure. 

Mr. Gill explains very clearly the 
many advantages of convenient access 
to libraries, and makes some valuable 
suggestions with regard to the most 
suitable persons to be selected as mem- 
bers of the library committees, and 
also with respect to the library build- 
ings. 

Mr. Johnston sketches the historv of 
public library legislation In Great 
Britain, which may be said to have > 
commenced in 1849, and Its extension 
to Ireland, and shows that by the Act 
of last Session rural' districts are now 
empowered to adopt the Public Librar- 
ies Act and establish free public li- 
braries, as well as urban districts. 

He explains the provisions of the 
Act of 1902, and gives some figures to 
show the sum that has been expended 
yearly in certain public libraries In 
England and Ireland. With reference 
to the amount of money to be expend- 
ed on a library, there is, of course, 
neither a minimum nor a maximum 
prescribed. 

A town library, Mr. Johnston re- 
marks, may be begun in a small way 
with a total of one hundred good vol- 
umes, which might easily be purchased 
by a twenty-five pound note, and ten 
pounds a year might be paid to the 
National fc^iiool teacher of the district 
for seeing after the lending of them to 
borrowers, or it might be started on Its 
career with the aid of £10,000. 



July, J903 



THE GAEL. 

The Jokers* Corner. 




"A little nonsense now and then 
Is relished by the wisest men." 



M' 



rOTHER— "Dear me, the baby has 
swallowed a piece of >¥orsted." 
Father— "That's nothing to 
the yarns she'll have to swallow if she 
lives to grow up." 



D' 



^OCTOR— "T h o m a s, did Mrs. 
O'Brien get the medicine I or- 
dered yesterday?" 
Thomas — "1 believe so, sir; I see 
crape on the door this morning." 



A FUSSY gentleman was traveling 
by rati to the Cork Exhibition, 
and was very careful about his 
trunk. At every station the train 
stopped at he used to shout out to the 
porter, ''Halloa, Pat, is my trunk all 
right?" At last the porter became an- 
noyed and said to him, "I wish you 
were an elephant instead of a donkey, 
then you would carry your trunk about 
with you." 



A YOUNG English lady of great 
beauty and attraction, who was 
an ardent lover of Ireland, 
crowned her praises by saying: 

"I think I was meant for an Irish 
woman." 

"Cross the Channel, madam," said 
Lover, who was present, "and millions 
will say you were meant for an Irish- 
man." 



A DISSENTING minister was called 
in to see the sick child of a 
working man, and after nis min- 
istration, he asked the father what 
church ^ he attended. 

"The Barony church," came the an- 
swer. 

"Barony!" exclaimed the minister; 
"then, why didn't you send for Dr. 
MacLeod?" 

"MacLeod is it?" cried the man. 
"Send for Dr. Norman MacLeod, and 
this a bad case o' smallpox. Nae fear. 
' I think too highly of him." 



AN American, concluding a visit to 
Ireland, was bidding farewell to 
an attendant. 
"Good-bye, Pat." 

"Good-bye, yer honor. May heaven 
bless ye, and may every hair in your 
head be a candle to light ye to glory." 
"Well, Pat," replied the tourist, 
showing him a bald pate, "when that 
day comes there won't be much of a 
torchlight procession." 



A BELFAST man who had eight 
unmarried daughters, of ages 
ranging between 27 and 40, was 
interviewed the other day by a youth 
who wanted to marry one of them. He 
hurried off lo his wife with the news, 
and informed her that their prospective 
son-in-law was a wine merchant. 

"Which girl does he want?" asked 
Madame anxiously. 

"Humph! I quite forgot to ask 
him," admitted the unbusinesslike 
father. He's a successful wine mer- 
chant, though, and — " 

"A wine merchant," exclaimed the 
old lady. "Thank goodness for that. 
He'll be sure to select one of the older 
brands." 



IT was the busiest part of the day at 
the railway station, and Michael 
Flynn, the newest porter, rushed 
up to the incoming train. "Change 
here! ' he cried. "Chanjeer for Lim- 
rlckgalwayanmayo! " 

But the lynx-eyed station master 
was at hand, and he descended upon 
Micky. "Haven't I told you before," 
he cried, "to sing out the names of the 
stations clearly and distinctly? Bear 
it in mind. Sing 'em out! Do you 
hear?" 
"I will, sir," replied the porter. 
When the next train came in, the 
passengers were considerably aston- 
ished to hear Micky sing: 
"Sweet dreamland faces passing to 

and fro. 
Change here for Limerick, Galway and 
Mayo." 



239 

ON THE WIN ING SIDE. 

INQUISITIVE CALLER— "Is Miss 
Callaghan your aunt on your moth- 
er's or your father's side?" 
Jimmy— "Sometimes she's on one 
side and sometimes on the other. It 
depends 'pon who's getting the worst 
of it." 



A DIPLOMATIC COMPLIMENT. 

AN aged lady, getUng into a cab in 
Dublin, said to the driver: "Help 
me in, my good man, for I am 
very old." 

"Begorra, ma'am," he replied, "no 
matter what age you are, you don't 
look it." 

EASILY ARRANGED. 

YOUNG MISTRESS— "Now, Sarah, 
you have broken more china 
this past quarter than the whole 
of your wages due can cover. What 
are we to do?" 

Sarah— "That's more than I can say 
ma'am; unless you make ends meet by 
raising my wages." 

ON THE CARS. 

THE other day an Irishman entered 
a tram-car, and before he could 
find a seat the car suddenly start- 
ed, and precipitated him into the lap 
of an old lady. The lady, much an- 
noyed at such a proceeding, indignant- 
ly exclaimed: 

"Sir, you are very rude; who are 
you, and where were you born'" 

"Indeed" replied Pat, "l' always 
thought I was an Irishman, but after 
all I must be a laplander." 

FIT CAUSE FOR TEARS 

AT a golden wedding in County 
Meath recently an entertain- 
ment was given to the surround- 
ing tenantry of the aged couple. At the 
close of the proceedings the elderly 
host rose, and relieved his feelings in 
an eloquent speech. 

"Look at that, Pat," whispered a wo- 
man present, nudging her husband's 
elbow; "did ye see the ould gentleman 
wid the tears In his eyes?" 

"And why wouldn't he be crying" 
was her husband's unexpected retort 
and he married to the same woman 
for fifty years?" 



A QUICKWITTED WOMAN. 

THE story is told of how a quick- 
witted Irish lady once saved her 
husband from an awkward situ- 
ation. One afternoon, while enjoying 
a good book in the parlor, she noticed 
coming up to the front steps old Mrs 
Cassldy, a woman whom her husband 
particularly detested. 

The husband fled precipitately, leav- 
ing his wife to meet the caller. After 
half an hour had passed the husband 
came out of his room and listened at 
the head of the stairs. Hearing noth- 
ing below, he called down to his wife: 
"Has the horrible old bore gone yet" * 
The caller was still there. The wife 
was equal to the emergency, however, 
and she called back: "Yes. dear, she 
went nearly an hour ago. Mrs. Cassidy 
is here now." ^^ 



240 



THE GAEL. 



July, Í903 



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MRS. MAUD GONNE-M'BRIDE, 
who visited this city some years 
ago, when she was Miss Maud 
Oonne, has not been taken seriously in 
her effort to disturb a Nationalist 
meeting in Dublin the other day. 

Mr. John Redmond's explanation 
that all was harmony when she and 
her friend Mr. Martyn left the hall, 
caused "Punch" to break into poetry: 

••When she was gone then fury fled. 
And in its place came peace anon, 
Harmony reigned — so Redmond said — 
When she was gone. 

"So, changed in nothing but her name. 
Her own wild way she still goes on — 
Tes, Maud was very much the same 
When she was Gonne." 

There ought to be some limits to 
political advertising.— New York Even- 
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Old Irish Name Restored* 

AT the last quarterly meeting of 
King's County Council, Mr. 
James Moran, J. P., in accord- 
ance with notice of motion, moved that 
the name of the town of Frankford be 
changed to its original one, Kllcormac, 
so called because St. Cormac had a 
monastery there. 

At the present day there was a holy 
well there, where many people got 
cured of bodily infirmities. Some time 
ago a local gentleman acted as nomen- 
clator, and changed the name of this 
historic place so as to have it the same 
as the place on the Rhine, where he 
spent part of his time. 

Now that the Gaelic revival was 
growing throughout the land, it was 
but a small concession to national sen- 
timent to pass his motion unanimously 
(hear, hear). The foreigners had 
changed nearly all the old Irish names, 
and it was high time to change them 
back again. (Applause). 

The motion was unanimously passed, 
and the Secretary, Mr. Kingston, in- 
structed to take the necessary steps to 
have it carried into practice. 



MR. WM. RBDMOND'S humorous 
and pointed interjections are 
becoming quite a feature of 
Parliamentary life. The House of 
(Commons was favored the other uxj 
with another laughable interruption 
from the hon. member. 

Just before the House adjourned an 
Irish member managed to move the 
second reading of the Town Tenants 
(Ireland) Bill. Thereupon Sir F. Ban- 
bury arose to perform his customary 
function of talking out the bill. 

The Member for Peckham succeeded 
in speaking for many minutes withont 
saying anything—much to the disap- 
pointment of the Irish members. "For 
these reasons, Mr. Speaker," continued 
Sir F. Banbury, " they ought to send 
you to the House of Lords." put in Bir. 
Redmond, amidst a roar of laughter. 
But the Member for Peckham, who re- 
ceived his title at the Coronation, rose 
to the occasion, 'nUnfortunately," re- 
plied the unabashed Sir F. Banbury, 
"that is a matter which it is not in my 
power to decide." 




Do you want to understand 
Modern Ireland? If so, read 



''Banba 



tt 



(THE IRISH-IRELAND MAGAZINE) 

Contributions by the best Irish Writers, 
Articles, Stories, Poetry and News of the 
Gaelic Movement. 

Post free to any part of the world for to'ox 
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Address :— The Manager, " Uaoba,^' 
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GENEALOGICAL^ipIHISTORICAL 

MAP OF IREUVND 

SHOWING THE FIVE KINGDOMS 

Meathi Ulster, Conitaughi, Leinster and ■luister 

AS THEY EXISTED UNDER THE MILESIAN KINGS, 

Together with the Names of all the old Irish Families and 
the localities from which they originally came. The Ancient 
TerritoríeSi possessed by the Irish Princes, Lords and Chiefs 
are indicated, as well as the Ancient Cities, Seats of Learning, 
Historic Places, etc. Price, 50 cents, 

The Map is mounted ready to hang. A copy will be mailed 
f ree to ever\^ NEW subscriber. Old subscribers and renewals 
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Being a collection of Poems and Ballads, by th« 

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comAnn riA ssníDeAMin 
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lri$b texts Society, 

Established for the publication of Irish Texts, 
with English Translations, Notes and Glos- 
saries. 

I»TJBI.IC-A.TI03SrS- 

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cn*x cloinne ui$ tiA h-ioRR*.\i-óe." 

Two i6ih and *! 7th century Romances, Ed- 
ited by Douglas Hyde, LL. D. (Issued 
1899). 

Vol. II.— "pleT) bUlCUetlD." Indited by 
George Henderson, M. A., Ph. D. (Is- 
sued 1899). 

Vol. III.— "T)^\ncA A0"ó-A5<\in uí t?*.\t- 

<Mile." Complete Edition. Edited by Rev 
P. S. DiNNEEN, M. A. (Issued 1900). 

Vol. IV.— *'poR<\s pe-AS<\ sxK. éminn," 
or Geoffrey Keating's "History of Ire- 
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I. A. (Vol. for 190 1 now ready). 

Vol. v.— •oUxMUMUefinn. Edited by John 
Mac Neill, B. A. (Part I. will form the 
Society's Vol. for 1902)- 

The annual subscription of 7^. 6</. (Amer- 
ican subscribers, $2.00), entitles members 
to all publications for the current year. All 
who are interested in the preservation and 
publication of Irish manuscripts should join 
the Society. The Society is also bringing 
out an Irish English Pocket Dictionary of 
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TWBNTY-SBCOND YBAR 
OP PUBLICATION. 




An Episode of Feudal Life in Ireland* 
By P* J. Smyth. 




CHAPTER I. 



WAS truly a grand 
gala week at Bally- 
lahan when Lord 
Richard, p o w erful 
feudal lord of that 
Anglo-Norman col- 
ony, brought down 
with him from Dub- 
lin, in celebration of his 
appointment as judiciary 
9- or viceroy of Ireland, a 
dozen or more of his fellow barons to 
enjoy sport and hospitality, with im- 
posing accompaniment of their squires, 
men-at-arms, pages, hawks and 
hounds. 

.Not with full heartiness had some of 
them accepted his invitation, for the 
times were troublous and it meant a 
journey of about a hundred and fifty 
miles, mostly through the woods and 
bogs of the country of the "wild 
Irishry." But coming from the king's 
representative, the message of Lord 
Richard D'Exeter had been an appeal 
to their loyalty and a command: 

''To honor the king and to learn how 
brave hearts and strong hands are 
building up his kingdom in the wild 
west of Ireland." 

"And now that you have come." said 
Lord Richard, when he saw the bril- 
liant array of lances and pennons as- 



sembled on the green banks of the 
Moy, "I will show you such sport as 
will be well worth the telling when 
you are returned to the walls of Dub- 
lin." 

"If we ever return alive," thought 
Tristram of Howth, who had lost his 
father in a foray in these .western 
parts. 

So they had hunting and hawking 
and jousting and feasting. The fierce 
imported talbots, or hunting dogs, vied 
with the sharp-muzzled native wolf- 
hounds in chasing the red deer through 
the woods and glens of Gallen. The 
falcons soared in the blue air and shot 
at the quarry, which fell bleeding after 
a puff of feathers. And there was a 
lively tournament in which knights of 
the Pale, or chief English district in 
Ireland, and knights of the western 
colony contended with great galloping 
of steeds and tilting and thudding of 
h*eadless lances for the approval of 
their seniors and the smiles of beauty. 
The tourney had now closed, but the 
arena of the lists was still strewn with 
splintered shafts, and still stood the 
fence on which the unfortunate bung- 
ling or defeated contestants had been 
obliged in ignominy to sit astride and 
listen to the derisive shouts of the 
spectators while the lucky victors 
gracefully acknowledged the plaudits 
and rode off with fair ladles* silken 



riband favors fluttering from their hel- 
mets or lances. 

**Verily a fair and goodly country 
this of yours. Lord Richard," remark- 
ed the Lord of Howth, as, the tourna- 
ment over, the party of nobles rode to- 
wards the castle of Ballylahan. 

"And goodly arms it needs to guard 
it," replied D'Exeter. "It has taken 
much blood to engross the title deeds,, 
and much more, I fear me, may be 
needed ere they are made perfect. 
When it comes to seizing their lands, 
even in the name and in the honor of 
the king, our Irish neighbors are hard 
to appease; O'Hara and O'Ruaan rec- 
ognize only the arguments of strong 
castles, sharp steel and good armor." 

"Which arguments, my lord, you can 
fortunately supply in good plenty," 
said, with a laugh, Lord David de 
Barry, D'Exeter's neighbor in the col- 
ony and his immediate predecessor as 
Viceroy of Ireland — stout and stem 
Lord David, who had, as it were, thrust 
his Iron frame between the hostile 
Anglo-Norman families of Fitzgerald 
and Burke and compelled them, power- 
ful though they were, by dint of routed 
armies and broken castles and threats 
of block and gibbet, to abate their bit- 
ter personal feud for sake of the King 
of England and of his majesty's gov- 
ernment in Ireland. 

De Barry, a man of firmness and 



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242 



THE GAEL. 



August, J903. 



foresight, with heart stronger than his 
sword, was among those who helped 
most to plant deep the tenacious roots 
CI English rule in the unfriendly soil 
of Ireland. 

"But you forget your potent and fa- 
vorite appeal of a high gallows," con- 
tinued he, pointing to a corpse-bear- 
ing gibbet on the castle lawn. "One of 
your native neighbors?" 

"Yes; a wood kerne that our riders 
found too near our cattle. They 
hanged him offhand, which was fool- 
ish, considering the Irish blood eric. 
If his people are of any account we'll 
hear from them." 

""But only a mere kerne?" 

*'A clansman all the same, Lord Da- 
vid, and you know their clannish 
motto, 'Spend me and defend me.' " 

"A fig for all their defending!" put 
in crusty old Sir David de Prender- 
gast, D*Exeter's father-in-law. "Down 
at the castle of the Brighs we have sent 
dozens of them up the ladder just to 
teach them to keep outside the settle- 
ments. If the knaves value their necks 
they'd better keep away from our 
western Pale." 

With a circular sweep of his arm 
the grizzled knight indicated the 
bounds of the great Anglo-Norman 
landgrab which was made some thirty 
years before with the steel-gloved 
hand. Very fair looked what of the 
district was visible, in its mellow Au- 
tumn setting of red and gold, gilding 
the bosky woodlands. On the mountain 
slopes the drifting white clouds made 
changeful masses of mauve and pur- 
ple. The sickles of the reapers *fl ashed 
amid the yellow corn, and the scythes 
of the mowers gleamed in the shim- 
mering haze of the rippling meadows. 
In the flshful River Moy the fishers 
hauled their nets, making a dilvery 



flashing of wriggling salmon on the 
green river bank. 

At the painted town butts a com- 
pany of archers — England's terrible 
archers, main factor in victory and 
conquest — enjoyed merry practice, the 
frequent shouts announcing whenever 
a whirring cloth-yard or grey-goose 
shaft quivered in the center of the 
target. 

Most prominent object of all, loom- 
ing on a level space in an angle be- 
tween two rivers, the Moy and the 
Guisden, where the former widens into 
the fordable shallows that give the 
place its name (Baile-atha-leathain, 
the town of the broad ford), towered 
the great grey stronghold of Bally- 
lahan, chief of the viceroy's family 
castles and now centre and main garri- 
son place of English rule in the west 
of Ireland. 

Two massive round towers, with nu- 
merous slits for archery, flanked the 
entrance gate, over which was sculp- 
tured the lion of the D'Exeters and 
their motto, "Percussus resurgo." The 
same lion gleamed on a crimson flag 
that fluttered on the castle battle- 
ments beside the royal standard of 
England. 

Also on the battlements appeared a 
row of ghastly objects, human heads, 
pallid and blood streaked, with long 
hair that blew in the wind, menacing 
trophies taken in warfare with the 
Irish enemy and displayed as an In- 
dian would his victim's scalp. 

Foreign feudalism, in all its grim- 
ness and terror-striking severity, 
strange and abhorred introduction on 
the soil of democratic Erin of proud 
chieftains and free clansmen! 

In England, in their castle-building 
scheme of subjugation, the Norman 
barons sometimes seized their Anglo- 




ARRIVAL OP THB BARONS AT BALLYLAHAN. 



Saxon victims, hung them up by the 
heels and "smoked them with foul 
smoke." In Ineland the barons did not 
pursue this form of torture. One na- 
tive chief, whose lands they coveted, 
they dragged him to death between 
horses. But in the main, they were 
satisfied to go out and surprise and 
slay the natives and bring in their 
heads. 

Therefore the gory trophies on 
Bally lah an walls. 

**We have two heads on Castle Barry 
for every one that's here," remarked 
Lord de Barry, strenuous type of sol- 
dier statesman. 

"My taste in such matters is modest 
and easily satisfied," retorted D'Exeter, 
"especially as I believe the Irishry are 
won't to keep tally of their missing 
caputs and occasionally to take an un- 
fair share of ours in exchange." 

"No fear of them trying such ex- 
change now, in face gf all those sturdy 
bills and bows and lances. By the 
way, how keeps your wild neighbor 
O'Ruaan?" 

"He bides quietly in his cranog, 
perched on piles in Lough Callow, con- 
tent to fish and hunt and tend his 
herds and flocks." 

"Herds and flocks, say you? Lord 
Richard, it is a glorious chance. Sup- 
pose we taste of them to-morrow?" 

"Suppose otherwise, my dear lord. 
Let sleeping wolf-dogs lie." 

"Ah, 1 remember," said De Barry 
tauntingly; "six years ago, when some 
of your people killed Maher O'Ruaan 
in the porch of St. Sesgnen's church — 
evil breach of sanctuary, was it not? — 
Odo O'Connor, who audaciously calls 
himself King of Connaught, avenged 
the killing with a broad track of blood 
and flre." 

"Which has been in part requited,' 
said the Viceroy. 

"And I recall me," 
persisted De Barry, 
"how Black D o n a 1 
O'Hara, who called him- 
self, forsooth, lord of 
this territory, with Mac- 
Kearney in his accursed 
train, made a grievous 
slaughter of our people, 
and as a most welcome 
tribute presented the 
heads of thirty-one of 
them in a gory pile to 
O'Connor. Is not the 
time ripe for retribu- 
tion?" 

"Black Donál fell by. 
English steel at Ardna- 
ree. and MacKearney is 
also gone to his fore- 
fathers," coolly replied 
D'Exeter. "No ,my good 
lord, your dark remind- 
ers cannot provoke me 
into sweeping off, en 
revanche, O'Ruaan's 
• stock of cattle-^thougir 
(Verily I -shall be strong- 
ly tempted to try It 
anon unless his daugh- 
ters or the daughters of 
his people cease sweep- 
ing olt^my men.' 



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Aus^fst, 1903* 



THE GAEL. 



243 



"How in mystery mean you? By 
witchcraft?" 

"Of course — deadly Irish female 
witchery! Six more of our best men 
gone off into the woods this week to 
wed Irish wives, don Irish clothing, 
grow Irish coulins of long hair, raise 
Irish families and be for ever lost to 
the service of the King. The traitorous 
Jcnaves, deserting to the euemy! It is 
Jiigh ril hang them if I ever catch 
them. And a malison on those red- 
<;heeked Irish sirens that beguile brave 
l>ut foolish men from their allegiance." 

De Barry laughed heartily. "Why 
«ensure the victims of love? Your 
-own father, Sheriff Jordan, took to 
wife a fair and noble Irishwoman in 
the lady Finola O'Connor." 

"Ay, honor to her dear memory. But 
that does not make me less a loyal 
subject of the King of England and his 
faithful deputy in Ireland." 

Faithful he was and of good fighting 
«tock, this representative of Henry III. 
of England in the year 1269. The 
D'Exeters took their surname, at the 
4ime when English surnames came in 
vogue, from the city of Exeter, and 
the first leading member of the family 
in Ireland was hardy Jordan D'Exeter, 
who took &is first name from a cru- 
sading ancestor, and whose dangerous 
office as English Sheriff of Connacht 
was closed by a violent death. From 
him the family was called, in the Irish 
way, the Clan Jordan, and the head of 
it Mac Jordan. Lord D'Exeter was 
the leading baron of the western col- 
ony, through which one might ride 
near thirty miles, as the crow files, 
from Castle Barry (now Castlebar) to 
Caatlemore of the De Costelloes. 

His family had built a large number 
of the feudal towers that sentinelled 
the hundred miles or so of circumfer- 
ence of the English district, outside 
which in unquiet times— and the times 
were generally unquiet — no colonist 
durst venture unless well armed and 
attended, for there lurked the native 
men of Úie woods, cunning in ambush 
and deadly with the cast of the javelin. 

CHAPTER II. 

Large, lively and motley was the 
throng that trampled the emerald vel-* 
vet of the castle lawn into unsightly 
patches. Never before had the grim 
prison-like fortallce looked upon such 
an assemblage. 

"Just one hundred years since my 
ancestor Sir Maurice, the first Norman 
in Ireland, stepped out of his ship," 
said old Prendergast of the Brighs, 
"yet here already we have little Eng- 
land." 

Soldiers, burghers, monks, jongleurs 
or minstrels, jesters in jingling belled 
caps passed and mingled. Warrior 
victims of the morning's sports, pound- 
1 ed black and blue, limped proudly 
about; one of them, half naked, his 
face drawn with pain, was undergoing 
treatment for a broken clavicle. Be- 
fore the gate stood ranks of mounted 
men-at-arms, glittering in ringed mail, 
with bristling lances and fluttering 
pennons, also a strong force of cross- 
bow men and archers of the long bow 

There were several Knights Temp- 



lars in their long white mantles, with 
the red crusading cross on the left 
side, their long bushy beards also dis- 
tinguishing them from the rest of the 
close-cropped and clean-shaven Anglo- 
Normans, and there were some of the 
Templars' rivals and later successors, 
the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, 
in their red war habits, with the eight- 
pointed white star on the left breast. 

These had come in the Viceroy's re- 
tinue from the banks of Liffey. Then 
there were the heads of the colony 
with their folio wings; the Barry s and 
Stauntons of Carra, the Prendergasts 
of Clan Morris, the Costelloes and Cui- 
sins of Sliave Lugha, the Berming- 
hams. Butlers, Dolphins and Law- 
lesses, the Barretts, Walshes and other 
fierce Welshmen of Tirawley. It was a 
grand and imposing reunion of the men 
who by dint of steel, stone and mortar 
had set themselves to the hard task 
of ousting and supplanting the old 
Irish clans. 

Over all there was a loud confused 
murmur, a jingling of guitars and ac- 
coutrements, a chaos of tongues and 
accents. There were heard the rapid 
intonation of Norman-French, then 
the language of camp, court and cas- 
tle, and the ruder Saxon, and the gut- 
teral accents of the Cymry. But the 
native Gaelic was absent save as 
spoken occasionally by the Viceroy 
himself and a few others of the half- 
blood, who had learned it from their 
Irish mothers, and by some • of the 
dark, protruding-mouthed little Fir- 
bolgs, local husbandmen, for over two 
thousand years, and sadly fated to be 
serfs and toilers under the new Anglo- 
Norman lords as they had been under 
the Milesian chieftains. 

"Your fair daughter comes again, 
my lord," observed De Barry. "Truly 
lively is her spirit and great is her 
love of gentle sport." 

"Great enough to suit a whole score 
of damsels," said D'Exeter, with the 
suggestion of a growl. "Never quiet, 
ever on the move. Her mother'si 
blood, her mother's ways." 

"Think you it safe she should thus 
ride forth?" 

"As safe as if she were within the 
walls of Dublin town." 

"But prowling Irishry, murderous 
kerne?" 

"As quiet as rabbits. Though lenient 
towards them I have taught them the 
weight of the iron gauntlet. And 
whither now, Ysemain, my lass?" 

Forth from the castle gateway came 
riding a merry cavalcade of gallants 
and ladles, with escort of esquires, 
pages and men-at-arms, with hooded 
falcons on wrist, gaunt hounds in 
leash. At their head, on a white pal- 
frey, rode a vivacious, rosy-cheeked 
damsel. Her green gown was gold- 
embroidered and a filmy veil floated 
from her horned head-dress. 

Fair patrician faces beamed around 
her, and the brave browned ones of 
brothers and lovers, some of whom 
wore knightly spurs won on Irish bat- 
tlefields, while others, though young, 
had on their left shoulders the white 
cross which showed that they had vis* 
ited the Holy Land. 



"To the woods of Bohola, father," 
replied the girl; "the game is good 
there and the ride will be pleasant." 

A rather cruel sport and science, the 
noble one of falconry, yet ardently 
pursued, studied or affected by blue- 
blood Anglo-Norman knights and 
dames, and even made, like heraldry 
and chivalry, subject to the social 
code, which provided the gerfalcon for 
a king, the falcon gentle for a prince, 
the falcon of the rock for a duke, the 
falcon peregrine for an earl, the sacrp 
* for a knight, the lanere for an esquire, 
the merlin for a lady, and so down to 
the goshawk for a yeoman, the muskel 
for a clerk and the kestrel for a 
"knave" or servant — everybody being 
allotted the bird of his or her rank, so 
they might all with meet etiquette go 
a-hawklng. 

"Right, my lass, game in Bohola un- 
der every bush," said D'Exeter, with 
sudden change of manner and hearty 
paternal approbation, yielding to his 
daughter's dash and animation. "Well, 
friends, may your birds fiy well. See 
you bring home many strings of fat 
pigeons and partridges to help our 
larder for the many healthy soldier ap- 
petites now in Ballylahan." 

"Depend upon my Strongbow," cried 
Ysemain, raising aloft the crimson- 
hooded bird that sat on her wrist. 
"My gold brooch to a bodkin that he 
makes the best killing to-day!" She 
had named her favorite hunting bird 
after the chief Norman invader of 
Irelan<j. 

"Bright good luck be yours, sweet 
maid," isaid Lord de Barry. "But be- 
ware iiL the wood the fierce wolf, the 
wild bjkr, the hart in his fit of 
madness. To your vsafe return, good 
ladies all. The ride will aid your 
beauty." 

It would surely aid their health and 
beauty. Cooped up most of the year 
in the stone castles of their fathers or 
husbands, the Mabilias and Basilias 
and Ysemains and Slles (later spelt 
Shela), of the Anglo-Norman colony 
had much less of the free and open 
enjoyment of life than had their Irish 
sisters, the Finolas and Evas and La- 
sarinas and Unas, in the duns and 
raths and cranogs among their native 
fastnesses. 

"I trust, my lord De Barry," gravely 
said Sir Adam Staunton, the senior 
knight in the hawking party, "that the 
lady Ysemain and these fair dames and 
damsels, her gentle guests, have with 
them enough loyal hearts and trusty 
swords to guard them from evil hap- 
pening." 

"Spoken like the fiower of chivalry 
that you are, Sir Adam," replied De 
Barry. "But never underrate your 
enemy. Therefore, say I, fair Ysemain 
and all of ye, beware the skulking 
wood kerne, his sly approach and 
fiendish javelin. Avoid the close 
copses, look out for the goatskin jack- 
ets, the heads of shaggy hair, the 
white and yellow shirts." 

"You forget that my mother was an 
Irishwoman, Lord David." exclaimed 
Ysemain, her bright eyes fiashing in- 
dignantly, "and I'd have you to know 
that I'm not afraid of my mother's 



244 



THE GAEU 



August, 1903* 



people. No, by the relics of blessed St. 
Kieran of the Lake!" 

The castle maidens of the thirteenth 
century received a fairly gentle educa- 
tion as regarded embroidery and music 
and heraldry and housekeeping. But 
there ^as one startling defect in it; 
they swore, and sometimes they swore 
very hard. 

"Spirited as she is lovely," muttered 
the baron in admiration. "My lord, 
have you as yet a fitting mate in mind 
for her?" 

The Viceroy was hesitating over a 
reply when, as if in swifter answer to 
the question, a new procession Issued 
from the castle gate. 

In front walked a priest and two 
acolytes. Next came a stalwart and 
handsome young man clad all in white, 
pacing slowly along in attitude of de- 
votion, his hands clasped before him 
and his gaze fixed on the ground. On 
either side of him walked a knight in 
full panoply even to his emblazoned 
surcoat, and behind marched an escort 
of men-at-arms. 

A hush of profound 
respect fell on the spec- 
tators. The hawking 
party drew aside to 
make way. Only one 
voice was heard, that 
of Lady Ysemain. 

"A peaceful and sanc- 
tified vigil to. thee, brave 
De Costello. God and 
his good angels be with 
thee during the watches 
of the night!" If she 
could swear with vigor 
6he could bless with 
grace. 

The young man mo- 
mentarily raised his 
eyes, then fiushed slight- 
ly and bowed, and the 
little procession contin- 
ued on its solemn way 
towards the abbey. Soon 
afterwards Ysemain 
gave the signal and the 
hawking party cantered 
gaily off towards the 
game-abounding woods. 

"So you confer the 
accolade to-morrow," re- 
marked De Barry. 

"Yes — and never was it better merit- 
ed. It is young Milo de Costello. son 
of our friend Sir Gilbert. For fully a 
dozen years he has served me as page 
and esquire and is to me dear as my 
own son. Right sturdily has he fought 
by my side in many a heady conflict 
with the Irlshry. Once he saved my 
life. It was on the red day of Lugna- 
fulla, the bloody hollow, when we test- 
ed with sword and lance the O'Ruaans' 
Irish title to Cruachan Gailenga. In 
the heat of the fight my horse was 
slain, and, helpless in my armor, I saw 
the fierce kerne come rushing to make 
'mercy knives' of their long skians and 
let my life out through my visor. Then 
came my brave Milo. valiantly be- 
striding my body and slashing around 
him till a charge of our cavalry deliv- 



ered me. Preserve us, what's that?" 

A round ghastly object fell from the 
castle wall; one of the poor relics of 
mortality, loosened from its spike, 
bounced from the parapet and fell 
crashing on the grass, almost beneath 
the hoofs of the Viceroy's steed. 

"Faugh! take the thing away and 
bury it," said D'Exeter, dismounting. 
"Come, gentles, and join in the broach- 
ing of as good a pipe of malvoisie as 
ever came over the water." 

"An omen, comrades, that I have 
never known to fail," commented Ger- 
vaise, a war-scarred leader of archers, 
as he picked up the battered and dis- 
colored cranium. "There is trouble 
and deatti in the air! A stout gallow- 
glass was this fellow in his time, and 
it was I who brought him in. Quick, 
bring a pick and shovel!" 

CHAPTER III. 

While in the banquet hall the Vi- 
ceroy and his guests were clinking 
their goblets, in the abbey church of 



late with everybody; that he would 
protect woman from danger and insult 
at hazard of his life"; so ran some of 
the knightly vows that he mused upon, 
combined in his mind with fervent ori- 
sons for grace to keep them. 

The castle, as well as the cloister, 
had its school, and it was in the tow- 
ers of Ballylahan that young Milo had 
received instruction and training. 

"In letters, arms. 
Fair mien, discourses, civil exercises. 
And all the blazon of a gentleman." 

By evening he had undergone the 
preliminary ceremony of investiture. 
First there was the bath, symbolic of 
purification, on emerging from which 
he was clothed in the white robe, sym- 
bol of purity. Next there was placed 
on him a red robe, to remind him that 
he should be always ready to shed his 
blood in the cause of the Faith; and, 
thirdly, the young knight-elect put on 
a black robe, the solemn memento of 
death. 




INTERIOR OP AN ANCIENT IRISH HOME. 



Strade knelt the young esquire, Milo 
de Costello, entering on the twenty- 
four hours' fast and vigil that was to 
precede his reception of the order of 
knighthood. After many years' pro- 
bation he was to receive one of the 
highest honors aspired to by man- 
hood, and the ennobling vows and ob- 
ligations attached to it already lent 
new dignity to his face and mien. 
"That he would fear, revere and serve 
God religiously, combat in the faith 
with all good will, and rather die a 
thousand deaths than renounce Chris- 
tianity; that he would serve his sov- 
ereign prince faithfully; that he would 
defend the rights of widow, orphan 
and virgin; that he would guard the 
honor and rank of his companions in 
arms; that he would keep faith invio- 



His arms and armor lay near him 
on a bench. There was the flat-topped 
helmet with its aventayle or face- 
guard; the long coat of chain mail, the 
camail or neck-guard, the chausses, 
leggings of mail; the sollerets, for the 
feet; the baldric, or richly decorated 
belt; the pointed, kite-shaped shield, 
and the spurs. And there was the 
knightly surcoat or tabard, to be worn 
over the armor; it was blazoned with 
three azure lozenges on a golden 
ground. Against the wall stood the 
steel-tipped lance and the long cross- 
hilted sword. 

Knighthood as it blossomed in Ire- 
land under the Anglo-Normans was a 
rather bloodstained flower. The invad- 
ing Christians opposed the native 
Christians as fiercely as if the latter 



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Google 



August» J903 



THE GAEL. 



245 




COSTUME AND ARMOR OP GALLOWGLA88B8 <PROM THE TOMB OP PBLIM 
O'CONNOR A. D. xa6s IN TUL8K ABBEY, CO. RO8COMMON.1 



were turbanned Paynims, and the na- 
tives retorted in kind. Probably many 
a young iNorman felt confused as to his 
knightly vows and fealty on his first 
beholding blazing Christian villages, 
churches and monasteries, and hearing 
the cries of massacred Irish women 
and children. It somehow clashed with 
his chivalric ideas of purity and chas- 
tity, of defence of the helpless and in- 
nocent and of the Faith, of the solemn 
lesson of the bath, and of the white, 
red and black robes. 

But then, on his side, he had the 
Pope's written word and the King's 
commands. There was the bull of the 
only English Pope, Adrian IV., gener- 
ously authorizing his "dearest son in 
Christ," Henry II., "to enter Ireland, 
to reduce the people to obedience un- 
der the laws, and to extirpate the 
plants of vice," on condition that he 
would pay from each Irish family *'a 
yearly pension of one penny to St. 
Peter." 

What though the Irish clansmen ig- 
nored the authority of the Pope to 
give them into subjection and bloodily 
resisted his bull as a slave bill of sale? 



To the Anglo-Norman knight that 
same bull was a religious and chival- 
rous palladium. So he mounted his 
war-horse and laid his lance in rest 
for St. George and Merrle England. 

Such thoughts as these filled the 
mind of the good squire Milo until the 
evening sun glowed red as the haws on 
the thorn trees around the abbey, un- 
til the long, pearly Irish twilight deep- 
ened to dark, until the stars peeped 
through the windows, until the last 
monks silently passed away to their 
dormitory. 

"Peaceful be your vigil, my son, and 
great your morning happiness in the 
house of the Lord," said, on parting, 
young Brother Stephen D'Exeter, or, 
as he Latinized it, Frater Stephanus de 
Exonia. He was a kinsman of the 
Baron of Athleathan and author of 
the Annals of Strade (A. D. 1245 to A. 
D. 1274). 

A solitary lay brother lingered to 
sweep and adjust, then vanished like a 
shadow, leaving the candidate alone In 
the awesome silence. A noble shrine 
of a wealthy community was the abbey 
chapel, with its elaborate carvings and 



stately high altar, sculptured with 
images of the Virgin and Child flanked 
by those of adoring saints. Strade was 
originally founded for Franciscans, 
but was transferred to their theological 
opponents, the Dominicans. It was 
built in 1253, burnt the following year 
and immediately rebuilt on another 
site. 

A rich and patrician house was that 
Abbey de Sancta Cruce of Strade, en- 
dowed by the Baron D'Exeter wi^ 
over twelve hundred acres of the best 
land he had taken by the sword from 
the O'Garas and O'Ruaans. It was a 
typical monument to the religion of 
the Invader. 

. CHAPTER IV. 

In the solemn hush and semi-gloom 
the candidate watched the light from 
the few lamps glimmer on his arms 
and armor, on banners and escutch- 
eons, on the graven tombs of the dead. 
His soul felt the strong white bonds 
of religious chivalry. The fair face of 
Ysemain D'Exeter floated in his men- 
tal vision, and with her as partner in 
it he wove a rosy future of delight 
His days of humble service were over; 
humble, but in laws of chivalry hon- 
orable, as steps in its profession. In 
such initiatory offices as waiting at 
table, caring the plate and making the 
beds he had had strict and severe 
training under the baron's flrst wife, 
the Lady Mabilia, a dame unsparing of 
the rod for page and maid. He fancied 
he saw her stern face glaring at him 
from her tomb yonder, where also 
slept three other dead women of the 
castle. He recalled flelds of slain un- 
til the swaying ivy tapped like ghostly 
flngers at the window, enough to freeze 
the blood of a Galahad. Frequently he 
told the beads of his paternoster, as 
the crusaders called the rosary. 

Then he began to feel heavy, drowsy, 
and he floated away to a dreamland 
where the glittering hosts of Christian 
and Paynim were drawn up in battle 
array, drawn up on a tawny sand, 
with the white walls of the Holy City 
in the distance. Suddenly he sat erect 
and alert, tense with the instinct of 
danger. A face was watching him 
through the southern window, a 
rugged, swarthy face, framed in dark 
hair that made a bulging fringe on 
the forehead. And to this face was 
swiftly added another and another, 
and with them came a glittering of 
steel spear heads. 

"Irish kernel A raid!" 

He was on his feet now and rushing 
towards the door. But ere he could 
reach it the great oaken, iron-bound 
portal was rudely clanged open and 
through it came pouring into the 
church a frantic half-dressed throng of 
men, women and children, people of 
the English settlement. The glow of 
a conflagration shone through the 
many-colored flgures of angels and 
saints on the windows; the colonial 
street, or straid, without — whence the 
name Strade — was In flames. Almost 
simultaneously came the loud, swift 
clanging of the abbey bell, almost hu- 
man In its strenuous appeal. Through 



246 



THE GAEL 



August, J903 



the cloister door the alarmed monks 
streamed into the chancel. Milo's first 
movement was towards his long sword, 
the sword with which he was to be 
girded in knighthood. 

From the outside came the yelling 
and shouting of human voices, the 
trampling of many hoofs, the lowing 
of cattle, with now and then a shout 
of command or a scream of mortal 
agony. 

"The Irishry! the Irishry!" cried one 
of the refugees; "they have surprised 
the town, they are burning our 
homes, they are seizing and . driving 
off our cattle, they will put us all to 
death!" 

There was a sudden clatter of arms 
at the door, and into the church strode 
a warrior in Irish battle garb of steel 
and leather, a stalwart man with a 
large native crommeal, or moustache, 
and a flowing brown ooulin, or long 
hair, whose glossy curls lay in masses 
on his broad shoulders. With him 
came clanking a bodyguard of tall 
gallowglasses with broadswords and 
conical helmets, covered with ringed 
mail from head to knee, just as we see 
them sculptured to-day on his father's 
tomb in the Black Abbey of Roscom- 
mon. 

For the newcomer was the dreaded 
scourge of the English settlements, the 
fiery and restless Aodh O'Connor. King 
of Connacht, whom the Saxons called 
Hugh and the Normans Odo. The 
crowd of refugees drew back from him 
as from a pestilence; he was to them 
a later Attila. Ignoring the startled 
throng he quietly doffed his helmet 
and made a genuflexion before the 
altar. Then forward, with upraised 
crucifix, stepped Brother John Tan- 
card, afterwards first English bishop 
of Killala. 

"O king, desecrate not this sacred 
place! Stain not this holy house with 
the blood of the innocent!" 

"Fear not, brother," came the haugh- 
ty reply; "the Irish always respect the 
rights of sanctuary be the house of God 
raised by Irish or by Sassenach hands. 
But would that you had given such ad- 
vice to your foreign flock ere the blood 
of Maher O'Ruaan smoked in the porch 
of St. Sesgnen! I am here to snatch a 
cattle prey from under the hand of 
King Henry's chief man in Ireland, 
and many a Sassenach horn shall I 
sweep off this night to the rich grass 
of Ballintubber. My friendly and sol- 
emn warning to Norman knight, es- 
quire and troubadour, to Saxon churl 
and Welsh villein: get back to your 
own country, back to your merry Eng- 
land, back to your beef and beer, for 
here you are but as a race of robbers, 
whom not steel nor stone shall save 
from the red vengeance of the Gael." 

"Why do you wear that churlish 
scowl?" abruptly demanded the king 
of a man who was regarding him with 
a dark expression of countenance. 
"Verily your looks are not those of 
love." 

"Scant reason why they should be," 
answered the colonist, "with the blood 
of my kinsman on your hands. It is 
thirteen years since the black night 



you took David Cuisin's castle and put 
all therein to the sword." 

"Yes, I remember — it was the stern 
punishment of a dark crime, Cuisin's 
treacherous slaughter of his gossip the 
Lord of Sliave Lugha, brave Rory 
O'Gara, a true and honorable man who 
had stood sponsor for his slayer's in- 
fant at the sacred font of baptism. 
Enough — it is the province of the King 
of Connacht to punish infamy in either 
Gael or Norman. But pray," demanded 
King Aodh, pointing to Milo de Cos- 
tello's arms and armor, "what means 
this brave display of war harness? Is 
the church of Strade a Norman ar- 
mory? Are these the Sassenach 'weap- 
ons of the spirit?' " 

"It is but the equipment of this 
young gentleman," explaned Friar 
Tancard, referring to Milo, "who by 
the law of chivalry is keeping fast and 
vigil to receive in grace the honor of 
knighthood." 

"The better to slaughter the Irish 
and seize their lands," grimly com- 
mented the king. "St. Brendan, what 
pious plunderers!" 

"The better to live a true knight," 
boldly said Milo, "to be loyal to my 
lord and faithful to my trust, to de- 
fend the nonor of dames and damsels, 
to never seek a wrong contest nor 
shun a just one. And such aims I 
know, O king, from my sojourn in your 
house, to be worthy of praise and pro- 
motion even with the Irishry." 

'JYour sojourn in my house," repeat- 
ed the king in surprise. 

"Ay, some years hence, my two 
brothers and I, as hostage for our fath- 
er. Sir Gilbert de Costello." 

"Ha, that he might be of good be- 
havior to his Irish neighbors; and well 
the good gentleman abided his agree- 
ment. Your face comes back to me, 
my son, and I rejoice to see you well. 
And what of your two brave broth- 
ers r' 

"One fell at Lugnafulla. The other. 
Sir Philip, is a good knight and true." 
"Truly I have heard no ill of him, 
SOIÍ of Gilbert, and neither, I trust, 
shall I hear it of you." said the king, 
with sudden hearty kindliness. **Ban' 
nO'ffiith lath, avic! Do no dishonor or 
robbery on the Gael and you will never 
meet an enemy in me." 

But here an Irish warrior hurriedly 
entered the church and whispered in 
the ear of King Aodh, who immediate- 
ly departed with his retinue. His sten- 
torian voice was heard raised in thun- 
derous Gaelic orders outside and then 
came a gust of battle cries, a fresh 
thunder of galloping hoofs. Some mis- 
directed arrows came crashing through 
the windows and quivered in the wood- 
work of the chancel. 

"They are English shafts," said 
Milo; "the Irishry are in retreat." 

The refugees rushed to door and 
windows and gazed out upon a spec- 
tacle of war, illumed by the flames of 
three or four burning houses. English 
and Irish horsemen were flitting and 
floundering hither and thither, each 
side being known by Its style of riding 
and fighting; the colonial cavalry, with 
long lances couched under their arms 



and trangular shields before them, tilt- 
ing hither and thither on heavy mail- 
clad steeds; the raiders, riding bare- 
backed, some with lances poised over 
their right shoulders, others swinging; 
battle-axes, light-armQd hobilers, dart- 
ing to and fro amid a pandemonium of 
whoops and yells, the clashing of 
arms, the screams of wounded horses. 

^nd so the combatants whirled away 
like an army of spectres into the green 
moonlight and were lost in the hazy 
distance, the din of conflict growing 
gradually less on the midnight air. 

Then eame another band of horse- 
men with loud beat of hoof and jingle 
of spur and reined up breathlessly at 
the church door. 

"Know ye aught of the Lady Yse- 
main?" hoarsely inquired the fore- 
most, dismounting — Lord Richard 
D'Exeter, bareheaded, with a streak of 
blood on his face. 

A figure darted forth, a figure in 
black, bearing lance and sword, and 
girding on the latter with frantic 
haste. It seized and nimbly bounded 
upon the horse of a slain man-at-amui. 

"Ysemain not returned! Then be it 
mine, my lord, to seek and save her." 

"You, boy, weak with fasting " 

"Nay, please you, my lord, strong: as 
a lion." 

"Then go. go I" cried the noble im- 
patiently. "Take Gervaise and his 
archers. But one thing, De Costello, I 
charge you on your coming honor of 
knighthood." 

The Viceroy's face was deathly pale 
and his eyes fiashing with rage as he 
gazed on the burning houses, the dead 
and wounded in the lighted roadway 
and fields, the ghastly effects of the 
sudden wrath of war. 

"Yes, yes, my good lord," said Milo 
eagerly. 

"Bring me back in bonds, like the 
vilest malefactor, the caitiff knight, 
the traitor or sluggard, whose infamy 
let the Irishry come upon us unawares 
through the pass of Bohola. I vow 
that the miscreant, the cause of to- 
night's disgrace and misfortune, with 
the spurs of knighthood chopped from 
off his craven heels and all the degra- 
dations of felony placed upon him, 
shall swing to-morrow from Bally- 
lahan gallows. Now go, and fortune 
favor you." 

CHAPTER V. 

The ardent knight candidate rode 
like the wind through the perilous 
forest paths, heedless of the dan- 
gerous projecting limbs, with the 
archers clattering behind. At inter- 
vals were passed dead and wounded 
men, dead horses and cows. 

"He rides wonderfully well on a 
stomach full of emptiness," commented 
grizzled Captain Gervaise. "Sad the 
pity if his lady love has been carried 
off and held to ransom by those saucy 
O'Connors and O'Garas; worse, alas, if 
she and her company have been slain 
by the savage wood kerne." 

The hopes and fears that trembled in 
Milo's bosom soon, however, found re- 
lief. A light glimmering amid the 
trees guided thej;escuers at-flrst streak 

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August, Í903* 



of dawn to the little oratory or cell 
founded centuries before by the virgin 
Saint Tola, whence Bohola took its 
-name (Both-Tola: Tola's cell), and 
there the whole hawking * party was 
found in safety. The gallants and 
ladies had received timely alarm and 
the right of sanctuary had protected 
them. But their horses, their trophies 
of swans, pigeons and partridges, and 
even some of their falcons, abandoned 
in haste at the alarm of danger, had 
fallen into the hands of the raiders. 

Having reassured Ysemain as to the 
safety of her father and dispatched 
messengers for some horses to carry 
the party home Milo set out with a 
party of the archers to carry out the 
stem »nd hard part of his mission— to 
escort to a dishonorable doom on the 
gibbet the unfortunate knight who was 
responsible for the calamity that had 
befallen by not keeping proper watch 
and ward at the pass of Bohola. 

As they approached the grey tower 
he questioned a party of men-at-arms 
who came to meet him. 

"Tell me, my men, what recreant 
knight commands this tower and pass." 
The soldiers looked at one another 
in surprise and embarrassment. It was 
some time before one of them an- 
swered. Then Milo de Costello felt his 
heart grow suddenly chill, his blood 
turning to ice. A dark cloud envel- 
oped him. blotting out and killing his 
brightest hopes. The landscape danced 
and swam. He swayed feebly in his 
saddle and would have fallen but for 
the strong arm of old Gervaise. For 
the answer he received was: 

"It is your brother. Sir Philip de 
Costello." 

His brother Philip, his only brother, 
whom he was in loyal duty bound to 
conduct as a traitor or negligent to a 
degrading doom on the gibbet! 

A silence fell, broken only by the 
oak leaves rustling dismally in the raw 
breeze of early morning. The archers 
gazed at him furtively, sadly, every 
rough battle-scarred visage wearing a 
look of sympathy. 

"Courage, young sir," vaguely whis- 
pered Gervaise; "this is hard, this is 
cruel— but courage!" 

Milo dismounted with an efíort. 
"You will escort the prisoner," he said 
hoarsely, choking at every ward. "For 
me, I cannot, in human nature I dare 
not, I resign the command to you," 
and, unable to say more, he strode un- 
evenly into the tower. 

"Hard fortune this, comrades, and 
on the very day Intended for his acco- 
lade," said one of the chain coats. 

"Shut up, there!" grunted Gervaise, 
whose tear-dimmed eyes blurred his 
vision of tower and woodland. 

" 'T would be hard to blame them 
were both to flee to the Irlshry," said 
another. 

"Traitor! Fll cram my sword down 
your throat," said Gervaise. "This Is 
no time to talk of escape." 

Presently a knight In armor, with 
visor down, emerged from the low, 
frowning gateway of the tower and 
stood for a few moments as If irreso- 
lute, then advanced and presented to 



THE GAEL. 

Gervaise the hilt of his sword. 

"I have heard my doom," he said in 
a hollow voice, "and I accept it. Do 
your duty as a soldier." 

"Bitter grief to me is my duty this 
day. Sir Philip, "replied the veteran, 
making a sullen sign to some of his 
men. The knight, with his arms 
bound behind him, was placed on a led 
horse and the party faced about for 
Ballylahan. 

CHAPTER VI. 



Blackened ruins, smoldering embers, 
dead bodies, pools of blood — changed 
was the scene from that of the pre- 
vious day as the morning sun shone on 
the English settlement beside the Moy. 
Many were the haggard and excited 
faces on the castle lawn, most haggard 
and excited of all that of the lord of 
the castle, his eyes bloodshot, his 
voice hoarse, his attire disheveled from 
his long hours of unrest. 

"Ha, here comes the cause of our 
woe," he cried, and a howl of execra- 
tion arose as the archers led forward a 
pinioned knight 

"Have patience, friends, for justice 
shall be remarkably swift In this case. 
Through the sloth or treason of a re- 
creant the king's honor is tarnished 
and the blood of the king's subjects Is 
crimson on the sward. Down with the 
carrion from yon gibbet; make place 
for a viler tassel." 

The captive knight, stJH helmed, 
was asialstea from off his steed, and 
he stood, unhappy s^'apegoat of the 
late rapid bin gory draraa, before 
the enraged representative of Eng- 
lish royalty. Small mercy was visi- 
ble in the ring of pallid and fero- 




C08TUMB OP AN IRISH SOLDIER IN THE 
X4 TH CENTURY. 



. 247 

clous faces around him; muttered! 
curses were heaped on him from all 
sides as the one mainly responsible 
for the night's calamity; even the 
women of the colony clamored for hÍB- 
blood. 

"My curse on thee, Philip de Cos- 
tello!" walled a lamenting dame;^ 
"through thee I am this morning a 
widow." 

"To the gallows with him!" came a 
roar of angry voices, and there was a 
rush which was promptly checked by 
Gervaise and his horsemen, whose 
prancing steeds cleared a space around 
the culprit, who stood unmoved as a. 
statue. 

"Off with his helmet," commanded 
D' Exeter; "no wonder the wretch in 
shame hides his face." 

As an archer removed the captive's 
helmet there was a sudden murmur of 
amazement and renewed wrath. Be-- 
fore them was the pale set face of the 
young postulant for knighthood. 
"Milo de Costello!" 
The Viceroy glared and purpled with 
rage. "Where is the traitor Philip? 
Where, my good squire? Where, my 
would-be knight, who art so ready to 
break thy vows like oobwebs and prove 
feilse to honor and duty when a traitor 
is of thy dishonored blood?" 

"My lord," said Milo, proudly and 
firmly, "I am here to take my broth- 
er's place and atone for his error, if 
error it be. And my name or blood 
bears not stain nor dishonor." 

The Viceroy, with clenched hand,, 
made as if he would strike the bound 
prisoner. "This day you- were to take 
arms and honor at the holy altar," he 
said, "but now not the blade of knight- 
hood but the hangman's rope shall 
give your accolade. Haste and be 
shriven, for here and now you shall 
die." 

A girl darted through the crowd and 
stood panting between the Viceroy and 
the Intended victim. It was Ysemain 
D'Exeter. 

"By my mother's bones he shall 
not!" she cried. "For years he has 
lived beneath your roof, eaten your 
bread, served you well as page and es- 
quire. Ay, you owe him even your 
life, yet now In spite would you mur- 
der him." 

'•Go hence, girl," growled the Vi- 
ceroy. "De Costello's life Is forfeit to 
our liege the king, and as the king's 
loyal servant I punish a traitor." 

"Then punish the dolts — the curse of 
St. Tola on them: — who accuse him of 
treason, either he or his brave brother, 
for the Irishry entered not through 
the pass of Bohola at all!" 

"That tney did not," exclaimed a 
stalwart young knight, almost the 
counterpart of Milo, who had just ar- 
rived, pressing through the throng. 
"My brother's life need not be sacri- 
ficed for mine, for here stand I, Sir 
Philip de Costello, to answer for my- 
self. Where are my accusers? My 
gage of battle to any vile dog who 
charges me with neglect or treachery." 
The Damon-and-Pythias Incident 
had an Immediate e|Pect on the crowd. 
Men who but a ^ew^ minutes before 
Digitized by VnV. 



248 



THE GAEL* 



Aug:ust, Í903 



were howling for the blood of Milo now 
pressed forward to embrace him and to 
cut his bonds. 

An Irish gallowglass, a solitary mall- 
<!lad captive whom his guards were 
with difficulty preserving from mal- 
treatment, suddenly shouted in Gaelic: 

"By my hand, Mac Costello is right! 
Why vent your spleen and madness on 
him who knew not how nor when we 
came to hurt you? Sleepy foreign 
churls, to think that the Gael can raid 
your pastures and paddocks only by 
way of the poor pass of Bohola!" 

On a day when the English colony 
had somewhat recovered from the ef- 
:iects of King O'Connor's foray the 
music pealed, the chant of psalmody 
:arose and the incense floated in the 
ii.bbey church of Strade. The eloquent 
friar preacher painted the glorious 
career and duties of a true Christian 
chpvalier. The candidate, cynosure oi 
a brilliant congregation of brave 
knights and ladies fair, approached the 
altar with his sword suspended from 
his neck. The priest took off and 
blessed the weapon, then hung it on 
again, and the candidate knelt before 
the Baron D'Bxeter, Viceroy of Ireland, 
who addressed him in the usual for- 
mula: 

"To what end do you desire to enter 
this order? If it is that you may ob- 
tain riches, ease and honor without 
^oing honor to knighthood, then you 
4ure unworthy of it." 

The test questions were satisfactorily 
answered and the knightly vows made 
-and received. Then the strong hands 
•of knights and deft ones of ladies help- 
ed to array the candidate in hauberk, 
gauntlets, baldric, sword and spurs, 
and again he knelt before the officiat- 
ing noble. 

Three blows of the flat of the sword 
on the shoulder: 

m the name of God, St. Michael and 
8t. George I dub thee knight. Be thou 
tailhful, bold and fortunate. Arise, Sir 
Milo de Costello." 

Over six centuries have flown since 
the establishment of the feudal Anglo- 
Norman colony in the west of Ireland, 
and there remain as archaeloglcal 
relics of it but a sprinkling of ruined 
castles and abbeys, best preserved 
among them being the hoary remains 
of Ballylahan and Strade. 
"'Gone are all the barons bold. 

Gone are all the knights and squires. 
Gone the abbot stern and old 

And the brotherhood of friars." 

The wind blows free and the wild 
birds build in each crumbling fortalice. 
In the roofless monasteries the tall 
■grass and nettles wave over the ming- 
led dust of knight and dame, squire, 
page and yeoman. But the old sur- 
names still survive, the families of 
"Celt and Norman are still there, all 
now fused and blended in one kindly 
Irish race that has successfully braved 
more political and social storms than 
l>urst over the land in the days when 
liaron and chieftain contended for its 
possession. 

Above all other parts of Ireland 



peace and prosperity specially flourish 
in the old territory of the De Costel- 
loes, for there, as an initial experi- 
ment, the peasant tillers have been 
made owners of the soil, though un- 
fortunately in neighboring districts 
the baneful tree of feudalism, original- 
ly planted in these parts with such 
plentiful watering of human blood, is 
still dropping its poisonous fruit in 
agrarian feuds as strenuous in their 
way as that which disturbed the 
knightly vigil of valiant Milo de Cos- 
tello. 



How Irish Names Are 
Changed. 

THE celebration recently of his 
eighty-ninth birthday by Sir 
Erasmus Ommanney, the veter- 
an British Admiral, who became a 
midshipman in the navy seventy-seven 
years ago, may serve to call attention 
to the circumstance that the surname 
Ommanney is one of the many sur- 
names whi<;h have been Anglicised. 
Ommanney is, of course, an English 
version of the Irish surname O'Mahony. 



Silk of the Kine* 

OSILK of the Klne, they have 
driven you forth 
From the valleys of plenty, not 
knowing your worth, 
By marish and copse, to the chill 

mountain-tops. 
To the bald, bitter mountains that 
look to the north, 

O Silk of the Kine! 

There was grass in the ditches, all 

gray with the dew, 
There was slender, sweet grass in the 

meadows for you: 
And not a harsh wind, blowing cold 

and unkind. 
Ever lifted a hair on your aide. 

Dhrimmin dhu. 

And Silk of the Kine! 

But, O Silk of the Kine, you are lost 

in the night 
Where the snow's in the wind, and the 

wind's on the heights 
'Tis we that would close our doors to 

the snows. 
And share our last shelter with you, 

our Delight, 

The Silk of the Kine! 

O Silk of the Kine, if we had our own 

way 
We would feed you with clover and 

new meadow hay. 
Secure from all danger, your head to 

the manger, - 
And straw for your bed at the end of 

the day, 

O Silk of the Kine! 

And, Silk of the Kine, when the winter 

was past. 
With the ice and the snow and the 

hard-blowing blast. 
We would lead you to feed in the gay, 

golden mead. 
In the deep dewy fields give you 

comfort at last 

O Silk of the Kine! 

ALICE FURLONG. 



T* W* RusseH M. ?• 

UNTIL a short time ago T. W. Rus- 
sell the apostle of the new land 
movement in Ireland, was a very 
unpopular person. He is a man of in- 
tense conviction, a born fighter, giving 
no quarter and asking none. 

When he removed to Dublin from 
Cuper-Fife, in Scotland, where he was 
born in 1841, he became an officer of 
one of the temperance associations of 
the city. For twenty-eight strenuous 
years he was the unrelenting foe of 
the publicans or saloonkeepers. At 
every licensing session there was Rus- 
sell. What he didn't know about the 
liquor business wasn't worth knowing. 

The best lawyers that the trade could 
obtain might as well have butted their 
heads against stone walls as to try to 
break him down when he appeared as 
a witness against applicants for new 
licenses or as an applicant to have old 
ones revoked. As he sat on the wit- 
ness chair, alert, always ready with 
the right retort, always ready with 
the facts and figures, he went through 
a practical training that stood him in 
good stead when he went into polities 
later on. 

Russell proceeded at once systemati- 
cally to arouse the farmers of Ulster, 
and met with great success. He elect- 
ed two Members of Parliament in op- 
position to the Government candidates 
on his platform of land purchase. His 
meetings were very large and enthu- 
siastic. The campaign, which he car- 
ried on for a time single handed, show- 
ed him in a new light The energy 
that he had brought to the fight 
against Home Rule he now turned to 
conciliation. He compelled attention 
everywhere in the Protestant north. 

As a speaker this new Irish leader 
is not greatly impressive. His shoul- 
ders seem too wide for his slight fig- 
ure. He elevates them as he talks. 
But as he warms to his subject his 
pallid face makes his eyes seem even 
darker than they are. As he strikes 
one hand into the other to emphasize 
a point you feel that there is a man 
with strong beliefs in that slender 
frame. Some Scottish peculiarities 
linger in his speech, but hardly enough 
to be noticeable, especially in Ulster, 
where the local accent suggests in 
many places that of the land across 
the Strait. 

The leaders of the Irish party from 
hating Russell came to respect and ad- 
mire him. The Government began to 
look on his agitation with some dis- 
trust, as it was complicating the situ- 
ation. Russell favored a land bill that 
would be acceptable to all sections of 
the nation. He took the attitude that 
as long as Irishmen were divided an 
English Cabinet had an excuse for do- 
ing nothing. He wanted Parliament 
to decide whether or not it would try 
to deal with the Irish question from 
the Irish and not from the English 
point of view. All the previous land 
laws, like the Home Rule bills, had 
been attempts to conciliate one section 
of the Irish people in the face of the 
determined opposition of the rest — F. 
J. Gregg, in Everybody's Magazkie. 
Digitized by ^ w 



Aug:ust, 1903. 




249^ 



The Irish Language* 



T-IE Celtic race formed the first 
large wave of immigration from 
Asia to Europe. At first the 
Celts spread all over Europe, by de- 
grees they retreated to the northwest. 
At an early period the race divided in- 
to two branches, Gaelic and Brythonic. 
Celts of the Gaelic branch occupied Ire- 
land, the Isle of Man, and Scotland. 
Those of the Brythonic branch occu- 
pied Britain, and were afterwards 
driven into Wales and over to Brittany. 

The Gaelic dialect of Celtic is the 
best preserved, and has the largest lit- 
erature. This dialect Is spoken In Ire- 
land, where It Is called Irish or Irish- 
Gaelic, In the Isle of Man, where it is 
called Manx, and in Scotland, where It 
is called Scottish Gaelic or Erse, I. e., 
Irish. 

The Brythonic dialect is spoken in 
Wales (Welsh or Cymric), and Brit- 
tany (Breton). 

Until recently the Gaelic spoken by 
the people was little studied, and few 
were aware of Its beauty and value. 
People often ask where the best Gaelic 
Is spoken. We may say In answer: 

(a) That the spoken Gaelic, when 
written down, is practically the same 
in all districts, except that some places 
have a richer vocabulary than others. 

(b) That the differences in pronun- 
ciation In various places are not great, 
and that a good speaker from any dis- 
trict will be understood by all ppeak- 
ers of Gaelic, especially after a little 
practice. 

(c) That the pronunciation in Ulster 
Is. In some respects (such as the sound 
of a long), nearest to the older lan- 
guage, while that of Connacht is most 
uniform, and that of Munster most 
musical and sonorous. 

(d) That the vocabulary of the North 
is simple and graceful, that of the West 
an ideal for a good prose style, and 
that of the South the richest, most 
poetical and very idiomatic. The Mun- 
ster spoken language Is worthy of spe- 
cial study. 

Gaelic was spoken In Ireland for 
many centuries before the coming of 
St .Patrick. Until then most of the 
literature was conveyed orally, but to 
some extent there was writing on stone 



and wood In Ogham characters, which 
were combinations of long and short 
lines. 

St Patrick and other Gaelic mission- 
aries introduced the Latin letters, as 
they were then used in writing, and 
encouraged the writing down of the na- 
tive laws (Brehon Laws), traditions 
and literature. These early forms of 
the Latin letters are In use for writing 
and printing Irish to the present day. 

For hundreds of years the Idea has 
been permitted to obtain that Irish was 
an exceedingly difficult language to ac- 
quire. 

Such Is not the case. The absence 
of suitable text-books for beginners 
had much to do with the prevalence of 
that idea, but within the past few 
years, commencing with Father 
O'Growney's series, a number of excel- 
lent books containing simple lessons 
for beginners have been published at a 
cheap price and placed within the reach 
of all. To-day any person of ordinary 
intelligence with a little assistance 
from some Irish-speaking person (to 



Eng. 


LXTTXRSv 


lusRLrmu.. 


lam 


Caps: 


* SmaU. . 


Capitals, 


SmaU, 


Sounds. 


A 


a 


A 


A, 


an 


B 


b 


X> 


t) 


be(t) 





c 


C 


C 


55^., 


D 


d 


■o 


•0 


S 


e 


e 


e 


ae 


F 


.f 


V 


F 


fe(t) 


G 
H 


s 


§ 


5 


S5? 


I 


i 


1 


1 


ee 


L 


I 


t 


t 


el 


M 


m 


m 


m 


ine(t) 


K 


n 


11 


n 


en 


O 


o 


o 


o 


6 


P 


P 


p 


P 


pe(t) 


B 


r 


n 


r 


er 


8 


s 


s 


r 


8e(t) 


T 


t 


c 


c 


the(t) 


U 


, u 


u 


11 


/^'^ 



correct pronunciation, etc.), can read- 
ily acquire a considerable knowledge of 
the Irish language. 

The Irish alphabet is the easiest in 
the world to learn as with the excep- 
tion of two letters f\ (r) and f (s),. 
each of the capitals and corresponding: 
small letters are alike. 

In the English alphabet there are 2^ 
letters and 40 difPerent forms of char- 
acters, making it much more difficult 
to acquire. 

Some languages have sounds that are 
unknown In others. Thus Irish and 
German have some sounds that do not 
exist In English. In Irish we have no 
sounds exactly like d, j, t, x, z, or ch in 
chip, nor soft dh, th. 

By printing the Irish and English 
letters side by side in this column our 
readers can see at a glance whatever 
differences In form exists between thenr 
and can readily learn to distinguish 
them. 

The approximate sounds of the Irish 
letters are given phonetically, as near- 
ly as English letters will permit. 

The EUiglish letters are named only 
by their sound, but in ancient tlmes^ 
the Irish letters were each given a dis- 
tinctive name. It happened that they 
were given the names of trees and 
shrubs. It is not necessary to learn 
these names. They are given in 
"O'Growney's Simple Lessons." 

In comparing the sounds of the Irish 
and English letters 'given above It wlir 
be noticed that the Irish "c" corre- 
sponds In sound with the English "k."^ 

The Irish "c" Is never soft as In the- 
English words cell, cent, certify, etc. 
The Irish "c" must be sounded hard as 
In cork, cold, or like "k" In the word 
kill. 

A great many persons pronounce the 
word celt as if it were spelled "selt,** 
which is wrong. The proper Irish 
pronunciation Is "kelt" with c sounded" 
hard as In Cork, Carrig or Carrick. 

To all persons Interested in the study 
of Irish we recommend Father O'Grow- 
ney's Revised Simple Lessons In Irish. 
Send fifteen cents in stamps to THE 
GAEL and we will send Part I., bound 
in paper. For thirty cents we will send 
a copy handsomely bound In cloth.. 



250 



THE GAEL. 



August, J903* 





; HE ancient gold 
ornaments liere il- 
lustrated were found in 
the north of Ireland, and 
bought in the ordinary 
way by the Trustees of 
the British Museum. 

j*^'' Considerable discuseion 

"has since arisen as to the rights and 
wrongs of this purchase, and there 
^as been much animated correspon- 
•dence and arguments, the Irish 
Academy, backed by the Irish Govern- 
ment, contending that they are 
treasure-trove, and as such the Royal 
Irirti Academy has the right of pre- 
'emption out of funds granted for this 
■express purpose. 

The ornaments in question consist 
of a collar, chains, a bowl, and a 
model boat, all dating from about the 
1:>eginnlng of our era. From the 
ploughman who found them in 1896 
they passed to his master, who sold 
them to a jeweller in Belfast; from 
him they were bought by Mr. Day, a 
collector of antiquities In Cork and a 
member of the Royal Irish Academy. 
In January 1897, he exhibited them 
at an ordinary meeting of the Society 
of Antiquaries of London, of which 
he is a Fellow, and an exhaustive paper 
was read upon them. In the following 
May, after the negotiations usual in 
isuch cases, they were bought in the 
open market by the British Museum 
ft)r £600. Two years subsequently the 
Irish Academy awoke to the fact that 
they had failed to acquire, when 
opportunity offered, the finest speci- 
mens of Celtic gold workmanship ever 
found in Ireland and then put in a 
claim, to which the Trustees of the 
British Museum replied that an Act 
of Parliament prevented them from 
-parting with objects once acquired, 
save duplicates or useless specimens. 
In the Chancellor's Court. London, 
the suit of Attorney-General vs. the 
Trustees of the British Museum came 
on for hearing before Mr. Justice Far- 
well. It was brought to decide the 
claim of the Crown to the gold orna- 
ments a treasure- trove which were 
found in a field near the shores of 
Lough Foyle by two men ploughing, 



and which afterwards came into tiie 
possesion by purchase of the British 
Museum. 

The Attorney-General said this was 
an information to establish the title 
of the Crown to certain articles which 
were found in Ireland at Lough Foyle. 
the title being based upon the fact that 
they were treasure-trove. 

His Lordship— Are the articles here? 

The Attorney- (General Raid they 
were. The first was a collar of gold 
which, he said, was early Celtic work. 
Then there were three torcc*, the date 
of which was uncertain, but they were 
probably of not so early a date as the 
collar. Then there were some gold 
chains, which he thought were not 
quite distinctive Celtic work, and were 
probably obtained from abroad, and 
their origin was uncertain. 

His Lordship — Is there any distinc- 
tion between the articles so far as the 
claim was concerned? 

The Attorney-General said there was 
not The other articles were a gold 
bowl and a model of a curragh, a kind 
of boat which, he was told, was still 
in use on portions of the coast of Ire- 
land. Tlhie learned Attorney-General 
referred to the finding of the articles. 
They were found in 1896 by two men, 
named Nicholls (who was still living) 
and Morrow (who had since died), as 
they were ploughing in stiff clay. 

The articles were a little distance 
from the surface, and within a space 
of 9 inches, in such a way as to 
demonstrate that they had been hidden 
there. The articles came into the 
possession of a Mr. Day by purchase, 
and he sold them to the British 
Museum. The question now- arose 
whether Mr. Day had any litle to sell 
them. The facts lay in a very small 
compass, but the inference was. in his 
opinion, that the articles had been 
deposited there. 

The law as to treasure-trove had 
been laid down by a number of 
authors, but he would only cite from 
Lord Coke in Third Institutes, page 
132. It was there laid down that 
treasure- trove was when any gold or 
silver had been of ancient time hidden, 
and such, wheresoever found, when no 



person could prove property, It be- 
longed to the King or to some lord of 
the soil. 

That stated the law so clearly that 
it was not really necessary to cite any 
other authorities. Of course, if the 
British Museum could show that they 
became the owners of these articles 
from the persons who deposited them 
there would be nothing more to say. 
That, of course, they could not do, 
and there was no other way by which 
they could make a good claim as 
against the right of the Crown. 

For the defence, it was argued that 
the land in which the articles had been 
found had been at one time covered 
by the sea, and that that interfered 
with the titie of the Crown; but he 
did not think it would be necessary to 
called learned gentlemen to show how 
many centuries it was, probably before 
our era, since what was now dry land 
had been the bottom of the sea. 
Laughter.) 

Another point put forward by the 
other side was that these articles had 
been deposited as a votive offering 
to some Pagan deity; but even if that 
could be shown to be a fact, he did 
not see that it made them any less 
treasure trove. It was contended that 
under the charter of the Irish Society 
the prerogative of the Crown had 
lapsed. There was no doubt that the 
charter covered the ground in which 
the articles were found. 

Mr. Walllngton said he wished to 
indicate at this stage, on behalf of the 
Museum authorities, the evidence they 
proposed to call, and then the law 
would have to be applied to that evi- 
dence. He considered that his learned 
friend (Sir R. Finlay) had put the 
denition of treasure trove too high, 
and that he had taken it from sources 
which might be regarded as too con- 
servative. His (counsel's) authority 
would be Blackstone'e definition of it. 
which was *hat treasure trove con- 
sisted of money, coin, gold, or silver 
hidden in the earth, the owner thereof 
being unknown, in which case the 
treaure belonged to the Crown. But 
the contention of the defendants in 
this action would be that this was not 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



August, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



25Í 



a case of the hiding or the abandon- 
ment of such treasure at all, but that 
it was a Yotiye offering made to & 
deity in very ancient timed. 

Mr. John Milton Myers, described 
as an eminent antiquarian and a dis- 
tinguished member of ▼arious learned 
societies, was then examined by Mr. 
Haldane,K. C. He proceeded to ex- 
plain what the general characteristioe 
of a votive offering were. 

He said it was an object given by 
6ome person to some deity, god, or 
«pirit to secure some advantage from 
the deity, or In thank offering for 
some advantage already received. 

Mr. Haldane— Take the ca«e of a 
▼otive offering destined for a water 
deity. Have you come across in- 
stances showing how such an offering 
was made? Tes; I have seen accounts 
of them. 

The Attorney-General— If this gen- 
tleman is merely referring to what he 
has read, I should like to see the 
hooks. 

His Lordship — I doubt whether this 
evidence is admissible at all. 

The witness, further questioned by 
Mr. Haldane, said there was a well in 
Co. Roscommon in which it was cus- 
tomary to drop votive offerings in 
ancient times He went on to state 
instances of the recovery of what were 
supposed to be such votive offerings 
in portions of Denmark and other 
European countries that were once 
submerged in the sea 



Witness, further examined, said he 
agreed with the view that these gold 
ornaments were deposited in Lough 
Foyle as votive offerings to a Sea 
Lord. Down to the fourth century 
these ornaments were probably sub- 
merged at a depth of several feet below 
the surface, and were afterwards 
covered with non-marine soil on top 
of the raised beach, as the result of 
the usual geological processes of 
change. 

Cross-examined by the Solicitor- 
General— You say the elevation began 
in the fourth century. How long did 
it take to get to the present level? 
That is a question impossible to 
answer. 

Can you form any estimate at all? 
It might be raised a foot in a century. 

Then it might take fifteen hundred 
years? No; not anything like that. 

May we take it that the rise was 
anything from one foot to twenty feet 
in a century? Yes. 

Then it might have taken from 
twenty to twenty thousand years to 
attain the present elevation? Oh. no 
(laughter). 

According to your theory, when the 
land began to rise it brought those 
ornaments up? Yes. 

What date do you fix for that? I 
cannot fix the date. 

Further cross-examined, the witness 
admitted tnat it was a disputed ^lues- 
tion as to what particular time the sea 
receded from the raised beaches. 



Mr. Wallace, of the firm cf Johnston 
and Co., goldsmiths and silversmiths, 
Grafton street, Dublin, deposed, in 
reply to counsel, that Mr. Day brought 
the ornaments in 1896 to have them 
put in proper repair. Mr. Day asked 
to have the greatest possible care 
taken of them. The gold collar was 
in a very battered condition, and one 
end of it was broken off. Great care 
and skill had to be shown in getting 
the articles back to their proper shape. 

This closed the evidence for the 
defence. 

Mr. Monroe, Edinburgh University, 
and Member R. I. Academy, examined 
by the Attorney-General, said he had 
devoted great attention to the subject 
of antiquities. He saw the gold orna- 
ments. He knew of no instance in Ire- 
land or Scotland of votive offerings 
having been made in the manner sug- 
gested by the defendants. The theory 
put forward that these articles were 
votive offerings was, in his opinion, a 
very improbable theory. There was 
no evidence at all to support the as- 
sertion, that they were votive offer- 
ings. They seemed to him to belong 
to a time between the late Celtic 
period and the introduction of Chris- 
tianity into Ireland. 

Mr. George Coffey, Council Member 
of the R. I. Academy, and Keeper of 
Antiquities in the National Museum, 
Dublin, deposed that, in his opinion, 
all the circumstances pointed to the 
conclusion that these articles were 




CHAIN. 



TORC. 



BOAT WITH OARS. 



CHAIN 
BOWL 

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S by Google 



252 



THE GAEL. 



August, 1905. 



concealed treasure. There was no evi- 
dence that the ancient Irish made 
votive offerings to sea gods. The very 
facts of the finding of these ornaments 
excluded such a theory. 

Cross-examined by Mr. Warmlngton, 
K.C./ the witness said very little was 
known about the pagan deities of 
ancient Ireland. Strictly speaking, he 
would admit the custom of votive 
offerings only when there was recorded 
evidence of it That evidence would 
depend more on its own consistency 
than on mere statistics. 

Mr. Cochrane, examined by the Soli- 
citor-General, said he had made an ex- 
tensive study of antiquarian questions. 
He was not aware of any recorded 
instances of votive offerings to the 
pagan gods in anoient Ireiland. He 
had made a special study of ancient 
Irii^ shrines. There was evidence 
that a considerable number of them 
existed near Lough Foyle. 

Cross-examined by Mr. Haldane, K. 
C, the witness said it was his theory 
that these ornaments came from a 
Christian shrine. There was a church 
founded by St Columba in the parish 
in which these ornaments were found, 
and all St Columba's shrines con- 
tained objects of great value, and 
hence were raided occasionally. 

Mr. Eraser, C.E., examined by Sir 
B. Carson, said he had made a special 
study of the geology of the north 
coast of Ireland. His opinion was 
that the elevation of the beach was 
completed in prehistoric times. There 
was clear evidence that the elevation 
took place during the period known as 
the stone age. 

Mr. Grenvllle Cole, Professor of 
Geology in the Royal College of 
Science, Dublin, agreed with the last 
witness that the upheaval of the land 
at LfOugh Foyle occurred before < the 
close of the stone age in Ireland, 
and that age was distinctly prehis- 
toric. 

Thomas Nicholl. examined by the 
Solictor-General, deposed that in the 
year 1896 while ploughing for Mr. 
Gibson in a field at Broil on, near 
Lough Foyle, his plough struck against 
something In the soil. He finished 
the furrow and went back to examine 
the ground. He found a number of 
things which shone brightly. One of 
them appeared to have been broken by 
the plough. He now identified the 
various articles — a collar of gold, a 
boat-shaped article in gold, a set of 
bowls in gold, and some email gold 
chains. 

Witness found them all in a space 
of about nine inches square and 
at a point in the field about fifteen 
yards from the hedge. He took them 
home and had them washed, and sub- 
sequently handed them over to hiii em- 
ployer, Mr. Gibson. 

Cross-examined by Mr. Warmington, 
K.C., the witness said the occasion in 
question was the first on which he had 
ploughed there in several years. On this 
occasion another ploughman named 
Morrow had ploughed the field first to 
a depth of six inches or so, and he 
•(witness) followed going six or eight 



inches deeper. The articles were 
bright and shining when witness first 
saw them, and were shaped somewhat 
as they are at present except the boat, 
which was more like a bowl when he 
found it. The gold chains were inside 
the collar. 

The Attorney-General said this was 
all the evidence he proposed to give. 

His Lordship — Tou are not tender^ 
ing any evidence on this point as re- 
gards Ireland. If this evidence is to 
be of any value you must show that in 
this part of Ireland there was deity 
worship of the kind referred to at 
some reasonable period. 

Mr. Warmington, K. C, read the 
deposition of Mr. Arthur John Bvanfl, 
a distinguished archaeologist, who is 
at present engaged in excavations in 
Crete. In the course of the deposition 
the witness stated that in 1894 he 
studied Irish antiquities in Dublin, and 
gave lectures on Celtic art in Edin- 
burgh in 1896. He had neard from 
Mr. R. Day, Cork, of the discovery of 
the gold ornaments, and had the orna- 
ments in his own possession for some 
time for the purposes of study. He 
had examined them very carefully, and 
his opinions were fully expressed in a 
paper printed in the "Archaeological 
Journal." 

The Attorney-General objected to 
this evidence. 

His Lordship said he was ready to 
hear it within reasonable limits, but if 
they were to go Into the question of 
votive offerings from the beginning of 
the world, he did not know where the 
case would end. 

Mr. Warmington proceeded to read 
the paper from the "Archaeological 
Journal." 

His Lordship suggested to counsel 
to read the general conclusions. As 
he would probably reserve judgment 
in the case, he could read the entire 
paper at his leisure. 

Mr. Warmington then proceeded to 
read extracts from Mr. Evans' paper, 
in the course of which the writer, after 
discussing the possible Viking origin 
of the ornaments, went on to dismiss 
as far-fetched the suggestion that they 
were plundered from a shrine. The 
collar, he said, was undoubtedly an 
ancient Irish fabric, and was the finest 
example existing of that class of gold 
work. 

He says that the "nearest ap- 
proach" to the "snake-like coils" of 
the ornament is found on a shield from 
the River WItham. He compares 
other features with details on objects 
from England, from Scotland, and 
from Ireland. The compass work of 
the collar, he points out. Is illustrated 
best by objects from a tomb in the 
County Meath. The "fine repousse 
reliefs" of certain well-known bronze 
discs found in Ireland, he writes, "sug- 
gest more than one analogy with those 
of the gold collar." Some in the Royal 
Irish Academy furnish "a distinct in- 
dication that both were made in Ire- 
land." 

Reviewing the whole evidence of the 
"find," Mr. Evans states, in conclusion, 
"there is at least no question as to the 



Indigenous Celtic character of the 
most Important relic contained in the 
Ulster hoard. The hollow gold collar, 
with its bold repousse designs, is 
undoubtedly an ancient Irish fabric, 
and it is at the same time the finest 
example existing of this class of 
work." (Archssologia, Vol. 55, pp. 
402-407.) 

The conclusion which he (Mr. 
Evans) formed was that the articles 
were deposited probably in the first 
century (A.D.), when: the custom of 
making votive offerings was very wide- 
spread. All of the circumstances, he 
thought, as well as the nature of the 
articles, pointed to. the conclusion that 
these articles were a thank-offering 
made by eome ancient Irish «ea king 
to a marine divinity for having been 
saved from the perils of the sea. 

Mr. Stewart, C.B., the Londonderry 
Harbour Engineer, examined by Mr. 
Beaumont, gave evidence of his inspec- 
tion of the place where the ornaments 
were found. 

Professor Hull, a well-known geolo- 
gist, who was director of the Geologi- 
cal Survey of Ireland, in which he was 
engaged for twenty years, was ex- 
amined by Mr. Haldane, K.C., and 
deposed that he had examined the 
place where the ornaments were found. 
It was a raised sea bed, and the limit 
of the upheaval at Lough Foyle might 
be about fifteen feet above high water 
mark. Going south from the Antrim 
coast the raised beach gradually 
diminished in height. Near Dundalk 
it was about ten feet; north of Dublin 
it was from four to six feet; and ap- 
proaching Wicklow Head it was not 
much above the present high water 
mark. 

It was possible to determine ap- 
proximately the date at which the 
raising of the beach began. That was 
inferred from the character of tiie ob- 
jects which were to be found embedded 
in the soil, such as filnt heads and iron 
anchors, the skeletons of whales, etc 

To his Lordship — My opinion is tha^ 
the elevation of the beach commenced 
from the fourth century onwards. 

Mr. Warmington, K.C., for the Trus- 
tees of the British Museum, resumed 
his argument on the interpretation of 
the Royal grant to the Irish Societies, 
contending that the grant by King 
James of the manor in which the field 
near Lough Foyle was situated, to the 
Irish Societies, which Societies con- 
veyed It to the London Fishmongers' 
Company, through which the tenant 
of the land held the right, conveyed 
all rights, and that the decided cases 
laid it down that all franchises passing 
by the charter included the Crown's 
prerogative. 

The counsel went on to argue that 
Treasure Trove was among the fran- 
chises: If the word "franchises" In the 
grant had been "royalties," there 
would be no doubt about it 

Mr. Haldane. K. C, followed on the 
same side. He remarked that the case 
came before the court in a most pecu- 
liar form, and the materials with 
which the court had to deal were ex- 
ceedingly attenuated. The entire case 



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August» Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



253 



rested on presumptions, and It was 
diflacult for the court to come to a 
conclusion, because even on the gen- 
eral circumstances of the finding of 
the gold ornaments, and on their prob- 
able origin» there was a wide diver- 
sence of scientific opinion. He then 
reviewed the evidence about the raised 
beach near Lough Foyle, and submit- 
ted that it was quite possible that 
these articles were deposited in the 
Lough as an offering to a marine god 
by a pagan chief or king in the earliest 
ages» and that they subsequently came 
up with the raising of the beach. He 
maintained that the theory of the vo- 
tive offering was Just as plausible 
and probable as the theory put for- 
ward by the Crown» and» in conclusion, 
urged that the Crown» on the evidence 
produced» was not entitled to succeed. 

The Attorney-General (Sir R. Fin- 
lay)» replying on behalf of the Crown» 
submitted that the Inference was 
irresistible that these articles were 
bidden at one time or another» and 
came within the definition of treasure 
' trove. The eviden<;e put forward by 
the defendants would show that these 
articles came up when the land near 
the Lough was gradually raised» but 
to suppose that gold ornaments» ex- 
posed on the beach until in the pro- 
cess of geological change a layer of 
new soil covered them» would remain 
for any length of time so exposed in 
a district where* disturbances and dis- 
order prevailed was perfectly prepos- 
terous. It was clear that the forma- 
tion of the 18 inches of earth under 
which ^' the ornaments were found 
would take, a considerable time. 

As xegards the custom of making 
vo.tive, offerings, the evidence showed 
that such a custom was confined chiefly 
to Scandanavia. There was no evi- 
dence whatever of its existence In an- 
cient Ireland. There was no case of it 
on record. An effort was made to give 
some special significance to the alleged 
mutilation of the articles. But Mr. 
Ck>ffey's evidence disposed of that part 
of the defendants' case. Counsel went 
on to argue that all the hypotheses put 
forward, b9[ tíie defendants were blown 
to the' winds. The case they made 
served no other purpose than to afford 
innocent amusement to all who heard 
It As regards the question of the 
Charter» the latter part of the docu- 
ment dealt a death-blow, in his opin- 
ion» to the theory urged by counsel 
for the defendants as to its proper In- 
terpretation. 

He submitted further that the form 
of proceeding in this ease or the ques* 
tion of the Court in wliich the case 
was brought could not make the 
slightest difference in the rights of the 
Crown. 

His Lordship reserved Judgment 

THE JUDGMENT. 

la the Chancery Division of the 
High Court of Justice» London» Mr. 
Justice Farwell delivered his reserved 
judgment in the action brought by the 
Attomey-Oeneral to have it declared 



that certain gold ornaments discov- 
ered at Limavady, Co. Derry» ¥Rere 
treasure trove. 

His Lordship said that in 1896 two 
ploughmen were driving a furrow in a 
field near Lough Foyle, the leader with 
a six-inch plough and the second man 
with a fourteen-inch plough. The 
latter struck something hard at the 
bottom of a furrow» and he found cer- 
tain gold articles all lying together in 
a space of about nine Inches square. 
The articles consisted of: 

1. A hollow collar» with repousse 
ornaments. 

2. A model boat» with thwarts and 
a number of oars» spars» etc 

8. A bowl with four small rings at 
the edges. 

4. A solid gold torque. 

5. One-half of a similar torque. 

6. A necklace consisting of three- 
plated chains» with fastening. 

7. A «ingle chain. 

The two last were found inside the 
(hollow (collar; the loars were much 
bent and were inside the bowl» which 
was flattened» and the boat was 
crumpled up. Th^ ploughman took 
the articles to his master» and they 
were sent to the factory of. Messrs. 
Johnson» in Grafton Street» DublliT» 
who restored them to the ^ape in 
wbich they have been shown in Court 

They are articles of great interest 
and beauty, of Celtic origin, the dates 
suggested for their manufacture being 
from 300 B. C. to 600 or 700 A. D.» but 
his lordship thought they might fairly 
be attributed to the second or third 
century after Christ. Ultimately» they 
were purchased by the Trustees of the 
British Museum» and they were now 
clamed by the Crown as treasure trove. 
The defendants set up two defences: 

One— That the articles were not 
treasure trove. 

Two — If they were, they alleged 
that, by a charter of Charles II.» right 
to treasure trove was vested» not In 
the Crown, or themselves» but in the 
Irish Society. 

No direct evidence could be given 
of the intention to hide the articles 
or the Intention to abandon them by 
a person who was ex hypothesi un- 
known»- the direct evidence must 
necessarily be confined to the discov- 
ery of the articles; in fact, concealed, 
and the Court must presume the in- 
tention to hide or abandon from the 
relevant surrounding circumstances 
and the motives that usually influ- 
enced persons acting under such cir- 
sumstances, according to the ordinary 
dictates of human nature. 

The articles were obviously of con- 
siderable value, but of a miscellaneous 
nature such as might well represent 
the store of a native chief or the spoils 
gathered in the raid of some Norse 
pirates. The articles were all put close 
together» the chains being actually 
concealed wlthdn tiie hollow of the 
collar, in the mode which a person 
hiding them for safety wltb a view to 
returning to claim them would be 
likely to adopt Their value rendered 



it Improbable that they would be aban- 
doned except under stress of imminent 
danger and the care with which the 
chains were put inside the collar and 
all the articles being collected together 
pointed to the absence of any such 
Imminent danger as would necessitate 
abandonment. 

The inference therefore was tiiat 
they were intentionally concealed for 
the purpose of security. There was 
no evidence at all as to the date of 
concealment, but -the state of Ulster 
from the beginning of its history down 
to comparatively modem times had 
been such as to render it highly prob- 
able that treasure would have been 
concealed on many occasions and in 
this very district There was record 
of a great invasion by Norsemen, who 
overran the land comprising this spot 
about the year 850 A.D. The inference 
was Irresistible that this was vetus 
depoeitio unless the defendants could 
displace it 

It was argued on behalf of the Brit^ 
ish Museum that it was enough for 
them to show any other plausible 
theory. He (the learned Judge) did 
not agree with that argument, and in 
his opinion the defendants' theory was 
not even plausible. He desired to 
speak with all respect of the gentle- 
men who had been called as witnesses 
for the defence, but the Court had 
been. occupied for a considerable time 
in listening to fanciful suggestions 
more suited to the poem of a Celtic 
bard than the prose of an English law 
reporter. 

The defendants' suggestion was tíiat 
the articles were thrown into the sea, 
which they suggested then covered 
the spot in question as a votive offer- 
ing by some Irish sea king or chief to 
some Irish sea god at some period be- 
tween 300 B.C. and 100 A.D.. and for 
that purpose the defendants asked tiie 
Court to Infer the existence of the sea 
on the spot in question, the existence 
of an Irish sea god. the existence of a 
custom to make votive offerings in Ire- 
land during the period suggested, and 
the existence of sea kings or chiefs 
who would be likely to make such vo- 
tive offerings. 

The whole of the defendants' evi- 
dence on these points— if it may so be 
described— was of the vaguest descrip- 
tion. He (the learned Judge) came to 
tiie following conclusions: 
First— There was no evidence to show 
that the sea ever flowed over the spot 
In question within any period dur- 
ing which the articles could have 
been in existence. It was not disputed 
that the raised beach on whicb the 
spot was situated was of later origin 
by upheaval than the surrounding 
land, but there was nothing to i^ow 
that it was raised at any time since 
the Iron Age began, and so far as he 
could see it might have been at any 
time between 2000 or so before Christ 
and some time before the beginning 
of the Christian Era. 

Second — There was nothing to show 
that votive offerinaTDf ^SL^^^^g- 
Digitiz 



uc;ao VTCU3 uvruuiUK Xfj vil\ 



254 



gested were ever made in Ireland. 
There was no such consensus of expert 
opinion as would enable him to find 
that such offerings had ever been made 
in Europe since the Bronze Age. No 
case was known of a votive offering 
anywhere of a ship coupled with otber 
miscellaneous articles, and there was 
ho case on record of any votive offer- 
ing having ever been made in Ireland 
at any time 

Third— Notwithstanding the passage 
in Ogham, it was by no means certain 
that there was any Irish sea god at 
all, or that there were any Irish sea 
kings or chiefs, who made offerings 
to a god, if any such god existed Fur- 
ther, the negative inference against 
the defendants' theory were of con- 
siderable weight Votive offerings to 
a Pagan deity would be offered in such 
a way as to make the most display. 

No one meaning to propitiate; an 
anthropomorphic deity, who, like Baal, 
might be engaged in hunting or sleep- 
ing. Would be likely to conceal two of 
his gifts in the hollow of a third. Nor 
would the donor mutilate some only 
of the objects, as the defendants had 
alleged. Mutilation would either be 
essential or an insult. One would ex- 
pect, therefore, to find all or none mu- 
tilated. Again, by virtue of what pro- 
cess had all these articles of such 
different sizes, weights, shapes, been 
kept together during all these years 
nnder the 'whelming tide? What 
magic bag had the Irish sea king 
which would withstand the action of 
the waves till the ornaments confided 
to the care of the sea had found a safe 
resting-place in the soil formed on the 
surface of the beach when the sea re- 
ceded? 

It was, perhaps, natural that the de- 
fendants should gra«p at tíieories, 
which, in Justice to them, he might 
say were not invented for the purpose 
of this defence; but it was really little 
short of extravagant to ask the Court 
.to assume the existence of a votive 
offering of a sort hitherto unknown, 
in a sea not known to have existed for 
2.000 and possibly not for 4.000 years, 
to a eea-god by a chieftain, both 
equally unknown, and to prefer this to 
the commonplace but natural inference 
that these articles were a hoard hid- 
den for eafety in a land disturbed by 
frequent raids and forgotten by reason 
of the death or slavery of the deposi- 
tor. 

It was, perhaps, hardly necessary to 
mention that his observations as to 
votive offerings of the character sug- 
gested by the defendants had nothing 
to do with votive offerings in Chris- 
tian churches, or with offering to wells 
or fountains, of which many instances 
were collected In "Brand's Popular 
AntiquHies." 

The view he had expressed on the 
facts rendered it unnecessary for him 
to express any opinion on the Attor- 
ney-General's further point that votive 
offerings might be treasure-trove. The 
defendants also submitted tfiat the 
right to treasure trove was granted by 



THE GAEL. 

a charter of Charles II. to the Irish 
Society, and that the Crown had, 
therefore, no title. In 1613 James I. 
granted a charter to the Irish Society 
for the purpose of effectuating the set- 
tlement of Ulster. In 1638 this charter 
was cancelled, and in 1662 the existing 
charter was granted for the purpose 
of restoring all the property and rights 
created by the charter of James I. The 
charter included waived chattels and 
franchises, but not treasure trove or 
royalties, and the Society was appoint- 
ed as Vice-Admirals of the Coast, with 
all royalties and the grant of wreck 
fiotsam and jetsam. 

It was argued that treasure trove 
passed under the word "franchises/' 
but he held that that contention failed. 
Franchises which belonged to the King 
by right of his prerogative could not 
pass under the general word "fran- 
cAiise "in a grant from the Crown, be- 
cause they did not exist as such. Un- 
til created by grant they were part of 
the prerogative; if created and re- 
sumed they merged in the prerogative, 
but franchises which were no part of 
the flowers of the Crown had no ex- 
istence until the Crown expressly 
created them. It was clear that treas- 
ure trove belonged to the Crown by 
virtue of the prerogative. 

The fact that the only royalties 
granted were those that belonged to 
the office of Vice-Admiral raised a 
strong presumption that none others 
were intended to pass. He had arrived 
at the conclusion that treasure trove 
did not pass by the charter by apply- 
ing the ordinary rules of construction, 
as far as was comtpatible with the 
subject-matter of the grant. It was 
unnecessary for him to express any 
opinion on the last point raised by 
the Attorney-Oenerai^ which was 
of considerable , general importance, 
namely, that in all claims to property 
the Crown was entitled to treat the 
defendant as if he were plaintiff, and 
•to insist that he must succeed on the 
strength of his own title, and could 
not defeat the Crown merely by show- 
ing that the Crown's title was bad. 
The result was that he would make a 
declaration that the articles in ques- 
tion were treasure trove belonging to 
his Majesty, by virtue of the Preroga- 
tive Royal, and order the delivery up 
of the same accordingly. 



August, 1903. 



It is now possible for the Royal Irish 
Academy to obtain the ornaments, 
but that fact does not lessen the blame 
attached to the negligent officials, who 
neglected to secure them when first 
offered for sale in Dublin. 

The first to call public attention to 
the remissness of Iri^h antiquarians in 
this matter was a prominent member 
of the Irish Party, Sir Thomas Es- 
monde, M. P., who, in his place in 
Parliament, boldly asserted the inde- 
feasible Tight of Ireland to their own- 
ership as a matter of simple justice 
and equity. He claimed that being 
Irish treasure-trove, the proper deposi- 
tory for them was the Iriflh National 



Museum in Dublin, and after an ex- 
penditure of much time and money in 
the controversy that has since takes 
place. Sir Thomas has now the satis- 
faction of seeing the claim triumphant- 
ly established in the EngUsli law 
courts. 



London, July 10. — After years of 
agitation the Irish gold ornaments are 
to be returned to Ireland. Mr. Bal- 
four yesterday announced amid gen- 
eral cheers that the King had express- 
ed the desire that the ornaments 
should be presented as a free grift to 
the Royal Irish Academy, and that in- 
structions to that effect had been is- 
sued. 

Sir Thomas Esmonde, who was the 
pioneer of the movement for the re- 
covery of the ornaments, and who is 
to be cordially congratulated on the 
result of his action, gracefully thank- 
ed both Mr. Balfour and Mr. Wynd- 
ham for their assistance in the matter. 

It was no simple exploit to recover 
from the British Museum authorities 
the interesting articles which they are 
now obliged to deliver up, and which 
they succeeded in annexing mainly by 
the power of the purse. Determination 
did it 



ONE of the principal objects of the 
Midland Railway Company of 
England, in purchasing the Bel- 
fast & Northern Counties of Ireland 
Railway is to develop tourist traffic 
from the industrial centers of York- 
shire and the Midlands. Some of the 
most picturesque holiday resorts in Ire- 
land are on the Northern line. There 
are the Giant's Causeway, the Palls of 
Olenarlffe, Larne and Londonderry. 



ANOTHER candidate for a terminal 
for the ship service from Canada 
is Fenit (County Kerry), close to 
Tralee. There is a very good harbor 
at Fenit, and it is maintained by the 
Tralee people that it is the port of all 
others, as it would shorten the Jour- 
ney by five or six hours as compared 
with Galway or Blacksod Bay. 

Lord Strathcona has been written to 
by the Tralee and Fenit Harbor Board. 
and his lordship's reply was that he 
would be happy to receive a small 
deputation on the matter. 

MEW YORK TO MEMPHIS 

Through Pallman buffet sleepers leaving 

New York daily, via Pennsylvani i 

Railroad, Southern Railway and 



FRISCO 



MEMPHIS 

XO TLV,V, POINXe IN XH« 

SOUTHWEST. 

Detailed inforrration In regard to ra^ee, train 
service, etc., furnished upon appUoation lo 

F. D. RUS8BI.I., OdMra/Zaffam Agent. 

T . * »-w Ttie, 

Digitized by "^ 



voAjujUf tfOMTW sauerx 



August, J 903. 



THE GAEU 



255 




The Round Tower of Kilbannon* 



By Richard J« Kdijf B. L^ Hon« Secretarr of Qalwar Afchaeological and Historical Society. 




HE Round Tower 
of Kilbannon, 
some two miles 
from the historic town 
0Í Tuam, is one of the 
seventy-two of its kind 
\ yfii remaining in Ireland, 
and is in size, structure 
a IK I situation one of the 
moBt interesting of that 
famous group. 

These curious works have been di- 
vided into four groups representing 
the different forms of architecture. The 
first style are of a rude sort, built of 
rough field stones untouched by ham- 
mer or chisel, not rounded but fitted 
by their length to the curve of the 
wall, roughly coursed, wide jointed 
with small stones fitted into the in- 
terstices. The mortar used was, of 
course, made with unsifted sand or 
gravel. 

The next class consists of stones 
roughly hammer-dressed, rounded to 
the curve of the wall, decidedly though 
somewhat irregularly coursed — often 
badly bonded together and having 
^mortar freely used. 

The third style has the stone laid in 
horizontal courses, well dressed and 
carefully worked to the round and bat- 
ter, the whole cemented in strong 
plain mortar of lime and sand. 

The fourth class has strong rough 
but excellent ashlar masonry rather 
open Jointed and therefore closely an- 
alagous to the English Norman ma- 
sonry of the first half of the twelfth 
century or in some instances finest 
possible examples of well-dressed ash- 
lar sandstone in squared courses. 

The most learned and critical re- 
searches into the origin and purpose 
of these buildings establish the follow- 
ing conclusions: 

1. The various styles of towers and 
different modes of construction clearly 
indicate that all were not built at one 
period, but were erected at various 
times during a period covering many 
centuries. 

2. The first and second class 
(earliest) towers were built after the 
Irish had become acquanted with the 
use of mortar and the hammer. 

3. The third class towers indicate 
bytheir style of construction that they 
were erected during the period of 
transition from the entablative style 
of the early Irish period to the round- 



arched decorated Irish-Romanesqu»* 
style. 

4. The greater number of these 
towers were built before the transition 
had been established and while the 
Irish builders were feeling their way 
to the arch. 

5. That as it is known this transi- 
tion in style of architecture took 
place during the period between the 
time of Ck>rmac O'KiUeen, A, D. 900, 
and Brian Boru, A. D. 1000, the fourth 
class group of towers now standing 
were probably erected during that 
period. 

Kilbannon belongs to the second 
style, ae does Meelick, Monasterboice, 
and Cashel. Here the doorway which 
in all these towers is placed some 
six feet from the ground gives one the 
first idea of an arch, the curve being 
scooped out of three or four stones, 
the stones of the entrance being of the 
same material as the rest of the tower 
but roughly worked to the round. The 
windows are of the same material as 
the rest of the building. About a 
fourth of the shaft and apex of the 
tower have disappeared, but in its 
present dimensions, about some thirty 
feet high sufficient remains, to give one 
an idea of its ancient symmetry and 
beauty of design. 

It stands at the angle of what is now 
the present graveyard of Kilbannon, 
and was anciently the grounds of the 
Dominican monastery which was erect- 
ed there. A road separates the tower 
and graveyard from the Catholic 
church — a neat building erected as the 
inscription over its doorway tells us — 
by a former parish priest of Kilconly, 
with which Kilbannon has for cen- 
turies been incorporated — ^the Rev. 
Father Gibbons. 

Curious their most famous founda- 
tions should be so situated close to 
each other. The schools of Kilbannon 
and Cloonfush as it is now called, but 
Cluainfois as it originally was known, 
are but a few miles apart and from the 
classic retreat of the meadow can 
easily be seen the tower that stood be- 
side the church of Benin. 

Kilbannon, as its name signifies, 
means the church of Benin or Benig- 
nus, who was one of our most famous 
saints. In the "Martyrology of Done- 
g^" St. Benignus is thus referred to: 

"November 8th Benignus, 1. e., Ben- 
en, son of Seschen, disciple of St. Pat- 



rick and his successor that is primate 
of Ard Macha. The Holy Benin was 
benign was devout He died on the 
dth of November, 468, and a short time 
before his death he resigned his pri- 
matial coadjutorship into the hands of 
St Patrick, who was then living. 

As a boy he was present when St. 
Patrick preached and became so at- 
tached to the apostle that nothing 
could separate them. He accompanied 
the saint everywhere. His voice was 
sweet and pleasing and he was remark- 
able for his knowledge of and profi- 
ciency in singing the Psalms. Hence» 
as Dr. Healy says in his most interest- 
ing work, "Ireland's Ancient Schools 
and Scholars": 

"He was Psalmist to St Patrick and 
led the choir of priests and monks on 
all solemn occasions, and trained the 
•wild-eyed Celtic youth to sing the 
praises of God like another Orpheus,, 
softening them into Christian meek- 
ness by the charms of sweet melody — 
the melody of his voice and the still 
sweeter melody of his gentle heart" 

St Benignus founded a famoua 
school at Kilbannon and his sister 
Mathona was one of the first nuna 
veiled in Erin and settled down at 
Tawnagh in the County of Sligo. Be- 
nignus preached the gospel in Kerry,, 
in Clare and South Connacht He 
blessed that province with a special 
blessing from Bundrowes, near Bun- 
doran, to Limerick, and the natives 
paid him and his successors a yearly 
tribute of milk and butter, calves and 
lambs, as well as the first fruits of 
their fields. Kilbannon was his prin- 
cipal church and continued so for 
years. His most famous disciple was 
St Jarlath, the founder of Tuam. 

Speaking of Kilbannon that great 
antiquarian, John O'Donovan, says in 
an unpublished manuscript: 

This well-known parish situated 
near Tuam, and so familiar to our 
people, is so designated from the two 
Irish words Cill and Benin, so called 
after St. Benin of Mionnan, the servant 
of St. Patrick, who was buried at the 
foot of the Reek, where his leachta is 
still visited by pious pilgrims. There 
is a holy well near the church of Kil- 
bannon also called after the saint; and 
furthermore near the old church build- 
ing, which stands in the graveyard, is 
one of the ancient doghteaghs, called 
locally dogh teagh^^cUl Beamman, or 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



256 



THE GAEL. 



August, Í903. 



•church towers, and said to have been 
built by or for St. Beanin. 

The door of the tower is about four- 
teen feet from the ground, and the 
church beside it is of the Gothic style 
of architecture, and not many centuries 
old. Stations were up-to O Donovan's 
time (in 1838). when he wrote about it, 
and for some years subsequently, per- 
formed to the well of St Benin on 
Domnach Chroin Duibh, or Garland 
^Sunday. 

The parish priest of Kllbannon in 
1838, the Rev. Father Joyce, or, as 
O'Donovan calls him in his unpublished 
letters, *'the present coarb of St. Ben- 
in," tried to stop these. "He," says the 
antiquarian, "is making every exertion 
to put a stop to these "tourasses," be- 
cause he believed that the tower was a 
pagan fire temple, that worship at the 
^ell was of Druidical origin, and that 
St Benin was obliged to transfer them 
to Chrifitian purposes to please the 
49uperstitious natives, and I might as 
«Bily argue with a cataract of the con- 
trary as with the present coarb of St. 
Benin," 

Thus is quaintly but expressively 
•described by O'Donovan the strong, ob- 
stinate views erroneously taken by the 
old parish priest, and the impossibility 
lie felt of trying to convince him or of 
reasoning him out of his views to the 
contrary. It seems stupid of the cler- 
gyman, for in the minds and hearts of 
his parishioners the place was asso- 
'Ciated alone with the sainted memories 
of the Saint, and only the perverse ig- 
norance of the pastor attempted to give 
a pagan flavor and complexion to 
otherwise harmless and laudable pious 
practices. 

Whether through the exertion of the 
Rev. Father Joyce or not, the Stations 
have anyway died out, and become 
things of the past, as unfortunately 
have too many other good, pious prac- 
tices and harmless customs. 
KILCREEVANTY. 

Near Kilbannon Is the 
townland of Kllcree- 
vanty. and situated In - 
the same parish. Here 
stand the ruins of the 
•celebrated nunnery of 
Cill Craébhnata. its ex- 
act location had -not 
been known until I8i», 
when It was discovered 
by O'Donovan, who de- 
scribes it as affording 
evidence of the exten- 
sivenesff of the old build- 
ing The doorways and 
windows are destroyed, 
excepting one on the 
north transept, which 
Is of round shape and 
l)easures eight feet six 
Inches In height, and 
four feet six Inches in 
l)readth on the inside, 
but the outside portion 
lias been demolished. 

From the observations 
made it would seem 
the nunnery was origi- 
nally constructed in the 



shape of the letter T, the nave and 
choir being 120 feet in length and 57 
feet in breadth; the foundation can 
still be traced, but not much of the old 
structure is extant, as the east and 
west gables are gone, and only 72 feet 
of the south wall remains, some 20 
feet in height A shapeless hole now 
does service for the door, and there is 
another hole at the western extremity, 
under which Is a large, well-cemented 
piece of the wall laid prostrate. The 
mortar used, as with all these old 
buildings, is of excellent material. 
Twenty-four feet of the northern wall 
are yet standing, and were 18 feet 
high. 

There were two chapels attached to 
this building, one at the south and the 
other at the north side of the choir — 
the first (21 feet in breadth) contain- 
ing the windows already referred to, 
and the southern part level with the 
ground. 

By an inquisition taken o& the 
10th of April, in the thirty-fourth 
year of the reign of Henry VIII., we 
find that the nunnery of Kllcreevanty 
contained a church and belfry, dormi- 
tory, hall, three chambers, a kitchen, a 
garden and sundry closets. 

The Annals of Lough Key, as quoted 
by Archdall, tell us that this nunnery, 
which was also called "of the chaste 
wood," was founded for Nuns of the 
Order of St. Benedict about the year 
1200 by Charles, the Red-handed 
O'Connor. The "Four Masters" relate 
that Fynola, the daughter of Felim 
O'Connor, Abbess of Cill Croabhnata, 
died in the year 1301. From Archdall 
we learn further that Dervatl Ny Con- 
nor was the last Abbess of the Nun- 
nery of Kllcreevanty. 

On the top of the townland of Bally- 
gaddy in this neighborhood will be 
found a heap of stones called Leach ta 
Phadrlgg, or the monument of Saint 
Patrick. O'Donovan Is of opinion that 




ROUND TOWER AT KILBANNON, CO. OALWAY 



from the name '*CiU Crodbh-naia-oelU- 
croev<itue" that there was a primitive 
little Irish church In that place, on the 
site of which the extensive establish- 
ment of Cathael Crobhdhearg was sub- 
sequently built in the thirteenth cen- 
tury. 

Reference to the towers occurs very 
early In our histories. The AnnaU 
of Ulster in A. D. 448, speak of a ter- 
rible earthquake, and mentions Uiat 
fifty-seven of the towers were then de- 
stroyed or injured by its ravages. The 
"Annals of the Four Masters" mention 
the existence, in the year 898, of the 
Turaghan-Angson, or fife-tower of 
the anchorite at Inis Cailtre, in tlie 
Shannon, and the same authorities 
note the destruction, by lightning, in 
995, of the hospital, cathedral, palace 
and round tower of the town of Ar- 
magh. 

In the old annals also recur the 
names of such places as Muighe TuU 
reth nabh Fomoroch, that is, the plain 
of the Fomorian tower; while in the 
west, still perpetuated, is Moytura — the 
plain of the tower; and Tor Inis — the 
island of the tower. 

Etymologlcally considered, we can 
get but a very slight inkling of their 
origin. In some parts the towers are 
called cUoagK which, as tran^ated, 
means a fire-temple; yet I am sure an 
equally plausible explanation in an- 
other direction might be hazarded. Un- 
doubtedly, structures very like the 
Irish round towers have been found in 
many parts of the east Hanway. a 
famous traveler, mentions four, which 
he saw at Sari, round in form, built of 
the most durable material, about thirty 
feet in diameter, and running to a 
height of 130 feet, corresponding curi- 
ously with ours in these details. 

Pennant, speaking of the Indian 

Polygars, says that they retain their 

old religion, and that their pagodas 

are "chiefly buildings of a cylindrical 

or round tower shape, 

with tops circle-pointed 

or truncated." 

Lord Valencia de- 
scribed, in 1837, two 
round towers he saw at 
Bhangulpore, in India, 
and which, he says, 
"much resemble those 
buildings in Ireland. 
The door Is elevated 
above the ground by 
some ten or twelve feet, 
they possess a stone 
roof, and four large 
openings at the sum- 
mit" 

The Brahmins had 
their fine temples, which 
they called "coll," from 
"chalana," to burn. 
These are generally the 
chief grounds of the 
theories of pagan origin 
as far as I can gather. 

It is also said that the 
towers were erected (or 
and used as belfries In 
Christian times, and the 
theory rests on the fact 
of their always adjoining 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



August, I903, 



THE GAEL. 



257 



or round tower shape, with tops circle- 
pointed or truncated." 

Lord Valencia described, In 1837, two 
round towers he saw at Bhangulpore, 
in India, and which, he says, "much 
resemble those buildings in Ireland. 
The door is elevated above the ground 
by some ten or twelve feet, they pos- 
sess a stone roof, and four large open- 
ings at the summit." 

The Brahmins had their fire temples, 
which they called "coil," from "chal- 
ana," to burn. These are generally the 
chief grounds of the theories of pagan 
origin as far OS I can gather. 

It is also said that the towers were 
erected for and used as belfries In 
Christian times, and the theory rests 
on the fact of their always adjoining 
churches. Under the foundations of 
some towers, when excavated, have 
been found human remains, and I 
think it was at Kilmacduagh there was 
discovered, some years ago, a skeleton 
which, from its position and some 
pious ornaments found with it, might 
go to prove the theory of their being 
Christian burial places; but then if 
the tower had a basement story, as 
the Cork Tower had, it might be pos- 
sible to inter the corpse from the in- 
side, or indeed easy to bury one from 
the outside, deep down under the foun- 
dations, while, in any case, we know 
that either the appearance of the cross 
with the position of the corpse would 
of themselves conclusively establish a 
Christian origin for the burial. 

Gerald Barry (Cambrensis), speaks 
of the legend connected with Lough 
Neagh, where It is supposed the fish- 
erman 

"Sees the round towers of other days 
In the waves beneath him shining"; 
and he says that vast expanse of water 
was supposed to have been due to the 
overflow of an enchanted well, which 
submerged a large tract of country, 
"inhabited by a wicked race of men." 
This quaint old observer calls the 
buildings "ecclesiastical"; but his tes- 
timony while going to prove their an- 
tiquity, may also be adduced as evi- 
dence that they were put to sacred use 
in his time. 

There they stand in all their simple 
grandeur, models of archaic architec- 
ture; monuments of constructive skill, 
in a country which can boast of a long, 
pure civilization— a farther reaching 
record than any other in Europe. 



EIGHTEEN years' rent as a fair 
basis to purchase was sanctioned 
as the price of a small estate in 
the County Longford, Ireland, by the 
Land Commission. This is far less 
than the new land bill makes the 
minimum. 



THE sales of the Dromahair 
(County Leitrim) Co-operative 
Agricultural and Dairy Society, 
Ltd., for the year 1902 amounted to 
£9,006 3s. 6d. After charging all work- 
ing expenses, interest paid to share- 
holders, repairs and the usual deprecia- 
tions on the machinery and buildings, 
there remained, as the result of the 
year's trading, a net profit of £303 6s. 
3d. The total amount of milk received 
during the year 1902 was 47,926 gal- 
loni 



The Beauty of Dark Rosa- 
Ieen« 

By Harold A. Phillips. 

I'LL pledge ye the beauty of Dark 
Rosaleen, 
Whom the world counted fallen for 
ever; 
Sweet hope of blest Liberty, glorious 

Queen, 
And soul of each patriot endeavor. 
She rises again 
From the shrine of her slain, 
Where Liberty's beacons are burning. 
And the harp's swelling song 
Breathes the tidings along, 
*Tis the spirit of Freedom returning. 

From the slumber of death she awak- 
ens at last. 

Oh, radiant and bright is her beauty; 

And clear on the air, like a clarion 
blast. 

Rings the voice that recalls ye to duty. 

With power and with might 

For the conflict of Right, 

She stands in her glory before ye; 

While, piercing the haze 

Like a halo of praise. 

The sunburst of Erin shines o'er ye. 

I'll pledge ye the beauty of Dark Rosa- 
leen, 

Unsheathed be your swords to defend 
her , 

Heaven smiles on the cause of our 
long suff'rlng Queen, 

And the loyal loving hearts that at- 
tend her. 

Tho' tempest and storm 

Have encircled her form. 

And long seemed the day in its oawn- 
ing» 

Oh, the sorrows and tears, 

Of dead slavery's years, 

Are lost in the splendor of morning 



THB Marquis of Lansdowne spent 
Whitsuntide at his Irish seat, 
Darreen House, Kenmare, Coun- 
ty Kerry. The history of the vast 
Lansdowne estates in Kerry is of in- 
terest The first of Lord Lansdowne's 
ancestors to come to Ireland was Dr. 
William Petty, who, in September, 
1654, came to Ireland as Physician- 
General in Cromwell's army. 

Until June, 1659, his salary was 
twenty shillings a day, and he had 
private practice. Within a few years 
he was owner of about 60,000 acres in 
Kerry, and, as he states in his will— 
a remarkable and interesting docu- 
ment—he had in Ireland "without the 
County of Kerry, in land, reservations, 
and remainders about £3,100 more." 

In the same document he quaintly 
adds that he dies "in the practice of 
such religious worship as I find estab- 
lished by the law of the country." Dr. 
Petty, who was subsequently knighted, 
was not only the founder of the Lans- 
downe estates in Ireland, but the 
author of the "History of the Down 
Survey" and of the "Political An- 
atomy." 



A MEETING arranged by the Ulster 
Aasociatlon was held recently at 
the Imperial institute, when a 
lecture was delivered by Mrs. St. John 
Lyburn on "Ireland's Mineral Re- 
sources." 

Mr. Lyburn is the mining expert of 
the Department of Irish Agriculture 
and Technical Instruction, in charge of 
the collection of Irish building ma- 
terials now at the Imperial Institute. 
The lecturer declared that the mineral 
resources of Ireland were deserving of 
the attention of capitalists. 

With regard to coal deposits, he 
pointed out that in the counties of 
Tyrone, Kilkenny and Tlpperary there 
were coal deposits which certainly 
would repay substantial borings. Iron 
ores were also known throughout the 
country, but transit difficulties stood in 
the way of proper development. 

The other minerals which might be 
worked to advantage in Ireland were 
lead ore, zinc, copper, gypsum, barytes, 
rock-salt, pottery-clay, and there were 
besides a large number of granite, 
limestone, sandstone and marble de- 
posits. He believed there was a great 
future in store for Ireland in the de- 
velopment of its granite industry. 
What was wanted was first inspection 
and then prospecting, to be followed by 
vigorous development where the dis- 
coveries Justified such a course. 



The League of St« G>IumI>a« 

WE have received from the Rev. 
John Kelleher, Hon. Sec. of the 
League of St. Columba, May- 
nooth College, a copy of the Journal 
of that 'body's proceedings during the 
past twelve months. 

The League has been founded for the 
purpose of fostering among the stu- 
dents of the College an interest in 
studies bearing on the Irish language 
and literature, Irish history, Irish 
hagiology, archaeology, Irish social 
manners and customs, etc., and of In- 
stilling into the students' minds an ap- 
preciation of the fact that a further- 
ance of national knowledge is bound 
up in the interests of religion. 

The League has gained an extremely 
strong foothold in the College, and the 
greater number of the students are en- 
thusiastic members of it. During their 
college days they show their sympathy 
with the Irish Ireland movement by 
diligent study of the subjects above 
named, and by contributing many 
thoughtful papers to the Society's 
Journal, and after their ordination 
several of the recently-ordained priests 
have acted in the various missions on 
which they have been sent as pioneers 
of the Columbian doctrine, which is in 
substance that of the Gaelic League. 

The League aims at attaining its 
end principally by means of papers and 
discussions. The present publication 
contains a number of papers read be- 
fore one or other of the three branches 
of the League; several prize poems 
and essays; a tribute In verse to the 
memory of Father Eugene O'Growney; 
and an amusing two-act play in Irish. 

There is enough interesting matter 
in these pages to make this year's Rec- 
ord of the League of St. Columba one 
of the most interesting Irish publica- 
tions of the year. 



Don't f*U to prooare Mna. Wihblowi Sooth»« 
Stbup for 7o«r Oblldren whUe outtlof teeth. It 
■oothe« the ohUd, tofteu the gnns «Uaji aU pain, 
ouree wind oollo. «nd U the beit femedy for 



258 



THE GAEL 



August, Í903. 





The Keeper 

the Fairy Gold* 



By Sbfe!a Mahon. 




AT MAHON Y was a great 
believer in the *'goocl 
people,'* not that it had 
ever been his luck to 
meet one. but he lived 
In hope. He was learn- 
ed In all the fairy-lpre 
of the barony, besides 
being well versed In 
charms and dreams. He was 
known far and near as the Wise 
Man of Awnascawil and very 
proud was he of the title. 

People came from all parts to ask his 
advice, which was not strange consid- 
ering that he was the seventh son of a 
seventh son and was born with a caul. 
Even the fishermen, for Awnascawil 
lies near the sea, when they happened 
to meet a red-haired woman the first 
thing in the morning (for that is the 
height of bad luck), ran to Pat for ad- 
vice and he was never behind-hand in 
giving it 

The consequence of all this popular- 
ity was that in attending to other peo- 
ple's business he neglected his own, 
and his little farm from being one of 
the finest in the neighborhood became 
the most uncared for. 

"Pat," said his good wife to him one 
day when her patience was taxed open- 
ing the. door for the numerous visitors, 
"Pat," said she, "it would suit you bet- 
ter to be minding your own business 
than attending to all the rapscallions 
that run after you." The good woman 
was irate and did not mince her words. 
"Take my advice," she concluded, "and 
mind your own business or it won't 
mind you." 

Pat paid no attention to this wise 
counsel, so the consequence was that 
his farm from being a model of neat- 
ness became one of the most neglected 
in the parish. 

Just outside the village of Awnasca- 
wil there is a fairy fort which Pat used 
to visit very often, in the hope of 
meeting some of the wee folk. Time 
after time he had gone but with no re- 
sults. It was the one cloud in his sky, 
only for that he would have been the 
happiest man in Awnascawil. 
They say fortune comes to him who 



waits, and Lo! and behold, one morn- 
ing whilst sitting on the mossy banks 
of the fort, what should Pat see but a 
Leprahawn busily digging at the foot 
of a white thorn. He was a cute little 
uhap ail dressed In green with a tiny 
cocked hat perched jauntily at the side 
of his head, for all the world like a 
general's, and little brogues with sil- 
ver buckles on his feet, and a wee shin- 
ing sword that flashed in the sun like 
forked lightning. 

Pat advanced cautiously to seize him 
for to catch a Leprahawn requires 
great deplomacy; but once you do 
catch him your fortune is made for he 
is the banker of the fairies, and keeps 
guard over all their hidden treasures. 

Pat's eyes were starting out of his 
head with excitement, as he put for- 
ward his hand to grasp him, but alas! 
just when he thought he had him, a 
grey rabbit scudded across the grass, 
and at the sound the Leprahawn turn- 
ed round and perceived Pat With 
marvellous rapidity he ran across the 
fort, and Pat after him as hard as he 
could run, finally after running several 
miles the Leprahawn coolly climbed to 
the highest branch of a lofty tree and 
looked down at Pat puffing and pant- 
ing at the foot 

Pat was a stout man and hadn't a 
breath of wind left to climb it, so be- 
hold him standing looking helplessly 
up at the mischievous elf gdnning ma- 
liciously at him through a veil of 
leaves, its tiny face for all the world 
like a wee wizened apple. 

"The top of the morning to you, 
Pat," said the Leprahawn pleasantly. 
"I'm afraid that you are a bit out of 
breath. You nearly caught me nap- 
ping, but to tell you the truth, Pat, 
I'm in a hurry, for I have to meet Will 
0' the Wisp, at a certain hour, and I 
always like to keep my appointments, 
so I'll make a bargain with you. I 
have a magic cap with me and who- 
ever wears it has a wish. I can drop 
it down, but only on the condition that 
you turn your back on me for a mo- 
ment" 

"Sorra a fut I'll stir," said Pat keep- 
ing his eyes steadily on the little fel- 



low. "I'll stay here If It should he to 
the judgment day, so It would be bet- 
ter for you to come down at once_ I'm 
well on to your tricks. Let you out of 
my flight? Indeed, I know better than 
that;' he added sarcastically. 

'Besides the magic cap," continued 
the leprahawn, "I have a bottle con- 
taining a liquid that cures everything 
under the sun. I will give it to yon 
also if you let me down." 

Pat pricked up his ears at this and 
the Leprahawn seeing his advantage 
pursued It. '"You would be the wise 
man of Awnascawil In earnest; in fact, 
you would be the wisest man in the 
world," he said temptingly. 

For a second Fat hesitated, but only 
for a second. "You little thief of the 
world," he cried, "let me at you," and 
he made a futile endeavor to climb the 
tree. "Do you think I am going to be 
fooled by you? But I'll tell you what 
I'll do," he added diplomatically, "if 
you throw down the cap and the bottle 
I'll try the cap on, and if what you say 
is true, I'll turn my back on you." 

"Agreed," cried the Leprahawn, and 
he threw a little red cap which Pat 
caught dexterously between his fingers 
but alas! with the movement he let 
his eye off the Leprahawn, and the wee 
chap, taking advantage of that brief 
second, disappeared with a burst of 
mocking laughter. 

Pat, with a rueful look, examined 
the red cap. He felt greatly chagrined 
at not being smart enough to get the 
bottle. He could have cured all Ire- 
land with it, and how much it would 
have added to his reputation. Still, he 
had reason to congratulate himself 
that he was not altogether outdone by 
the Leprahawn, for had he not the cap. 
Again he looked at it as it lay in the 
palm of his hand like a hawberry, 
which it curiously resembled. It was 
shaped like a Jockey's with a little 
peak on it daintily fashioned. Pat put 
it carefully into his waistcoat pocket 
for he wanted to think well over what 
he was going to wish. 

For two days and two nights (for he 
got very little sleep, he thought and 
thought, but could not come to any de- 
cision. 

On the third day he was vwilking 
along the road when who should he 
meet but an amadan* carrying a big 
load of potatoes. There was a hole in 
the bag, and one by one the potatoes 



^Amadan, the 

Digitized by 



i-tiotjglr 



August, 1903, 



IHE GAEL. 



259 



were rolling out. "Stop, you fool; do 
you not see that you are losing all 
your master's potatoes," cried Pat. 

"Fool yourself," answered the ama^ 
dan, "I am setting them as I go along. 
There will be a fine crop here this time 
next year." 

•'I wish I were your master," cried 
Pat In disgust, "I'd soon—" the sen- 
tence was never finished, for lo! and 
behold, he found himself changed into 
a decrepit old man with a hump be- 
tween his shoulders. At the sight of 
him the atna4<m threw down the bag 
and ran for his life, shouting: "It's the 
master himself," and fiew along the 
road like a madman. 

The worst of it all was Pat knew he 
was Pat, and yet felt that no one would 
recognize him. How he wished he had 
never meddled with the wee folk. Even 
the wife of his bosom would only 
laugh at him if he ventured to say: 
"I am Pat Mahony, the man who mar- 
ried you in Awnascawil chapel." Well 
the only thing to be done was to go 
home and see for himself what would 
happen. 

When the hapless Pat reached the 
house he perceived quite a commotion, 
as if something had occurred. Several 
of the neighbors were standing in 
groups gesticulating violently. Timid- 
ly he passed without seeming to see 
them, but heard one of them saying: 
"There goes ould Jimmie RafFerty, the 
skinflint. I wonder what has brought 
him in this direction." 

Horror of horrors, was he Jimmie 
Rafferty's double, the greatest miser in 



AwnascawiL Afraid of going in by 
the front door, the wretched man 
sneaked in by the back door. He saw 
his wife in the kitchen talking to a 
neighbor. "Don't fret, acushla" she 
was saying, "when Pat comes home he 
will make it all right It's he that is 
the grand man for working the 
charms. I expect him in every mo- 
ment." 

"I don't know what the parish would 
do without him," said the neighbor, 
"an' he is so kind-hearted, never 
thinks anything a bother. It's no won- 
der he is called the wise man of Anas- 
cawil." 

"It would fit him better if the parish 
knew less of him, and the house more," 
said his wife sharply; "not but that it 
is a grand thing to be born with a cawl 
and to be the seventh son of a seventh 
son." 

Pat could listen no longer; now or 
never was his time. "Mary," he said 
timidly, at the sound of his voice his 
wife turned round, "I'm your husband, 
Pat Mahony." Before he had the 
words right out she flew at him with a 
broom. "You ould villain," she cried, 
"who gave you leave to call a dacient 
married woman out of her name? You, 
my husband, you crooked back heap of 
lies. I'll teach you manners. Out you 
go," and she at him in earnest with 
the broom, whilst the neighbor bent 
double with laughing, and Pat had to 
run for his life, followed by the mock- 
ing laughter of the two women. 

The poor fellow sat down on a ditch 
and the tears rolled down his cheeks. 



He made a sorry looking object He 
thought and thought until his brain 
became bewildered as to how he was 
to get the better of the Leprahawn and 
resume his own shape. He, the wise 
man of Awnascawil, would only be the 
laughing stock of the parish if he per- 
sisted in saying that he was Pat Ma- 
hony. When he sat down he did not 
notice that it was underneath a fairy 
thorn, and there on the other side of 
it, peering at him through the 
branches, was the same Leprahawn 
who had been the cause of his misfor- 
tune. 

"Jimmie RafFerty," said a mocking 
voice, "what is the matter with you?" 

When Pat saw who it was bis rage 
was Indescribable. He made a dan 
for the Leprahawn, but the latter wait 
too nimble for him and ran round and 
round the thorn until Pat's head be- 
came dizzy, and his limbs refused to 
act, and he sank down again on the 
ditch exhausted whilst the Leprahawn 
resumed his position behind the tree. 

"Easy now, go easy," said his tor- 
mentor, "you have nobody but your- 
self to blame. If you had been mind- 
ing your own business you would not 
be in this plight;" and he grinned ma- 
liciously. "What would you give to 
get out of it? If you guess correctly 
some of your own will come back to 
you." 

"I'd give the head of my body," cried 
Pat, "to the man that it belongs to." 
And lo! while you would wink, he felt 
the head jumping off him and his own 
falling into its place. 




PAT SAW A LEPRAHAWN BUSILY DIQOINQ. 



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"You got the better oi me that time," 
said the Leprahawn, "but you still 
have the hump; you'll And it harder to 
get rid of it" 

"Would you like a present," said Pat 
innocently. 

"Yes," said the Leprahawn, Incau- 
tiously. 

"Well, you can have the hump. I'm 
sure Jimmie Rafferty won't object." 

With that the hump left Pat and 
hopped unto the Leprahawn's back 
where it stuck like a limplt. The Lep- 
rahawn was now in a worse plight than 
Pat, for as Pat afterwards in telling 
the story said: "The divil a fut he 
could move with the weight of the 
hump." 

Pat rolled on the ditch in a paroxism 
of laughter when he saw that he had 
his enemy at his mercy. 

"Pat," said the Leprahawn, as soft 
as butter, "take this infernal thing ofC 
me and I'm your friend for life." 

"Go easy now, take it easy." said 
Pat, echoing the Leprahawn's own 
words. "What will you give me for re- 
lieving you of it?" 

"Anything in the world," said the 
Leorah awn . 

"I'm not hard to satisfy," said Pat 
"Grant me three wishes and I will take 
It oft you." 

"Anything in the world," screamed 
the Leprahawn, "but take it ofC, take 
it off." 

"Well, the first thing I want," said 
Pat slowly, "is to get my own shape 
back again." He had no sooner the 
words said when he felt a strange feel- 
ing all over him, and to his satisfaction 
saw that he had regained his own 
form. 

"Hurry up," screeched the Lepra- 
hawn, "don't keep me in agony any 
longer; the weight of the hump is kill- 
ing me." 

"My second wish," said Pat, "is for 
the bottle of medicine that you so 
cleverly got out of giving me before." 

"Here it is, and welcome," said the 
Leprahawn, "but take great care not 
to let it fall, for once broken it can 
never be replaced." And he handed 
Pat a small crystal bottle. "That will 
never be empty," he added. 

Pat put the bottle carefully away In 
his breeches pocket "My third wish," 
he said, "is to know where my Uncle 
Seumas stowed away the stocking full 
of guineas that could never be found 
after his death." 

"Easily answered " said the Lepra- 
hawn, "in the field at the back of your 
house beside the whin bush there is 
a grassy mound; dig it and you'll find 
the gold." 

With a loud whoop Pat went to run 
for the guineas, but the Leprahawn 
besought him to keep his promise and 
relieve him of the hump. 

"Seeing that Jimmie RafFerty came 
Into the world with a hump I wish 
him to go out of it with tiie same 
adornment," said Pat solemnly, and 
lo! the hump went skipping along the 
road like a black ball, as if it were in 
mad haste to get to its destination. 

Pat stood looking after it until it 
disappeared behind the hill, When he 
turned round the Leprahawn was gone. 



THE GAEL. 

He put his hand into his pocket for the 
precious medicine, and in his hurry 
pulled out a bunch of mayfiowers not 
perceiving that the tiny bottle was 
hidden amidst the yellow blossoms. A 
crash revealed his error as the crystal 
bottle fiew into a thousand pieces and 
the precious contents were lost for 
ever. 

With a rueful countenance Pat turn- 
ed homewards but before going into 
the house took a spade and dug under- 
neath the whin bush and there, sure 
enough, was the stocking full of gold. 
The first words that his wife met him 
with was: "Ould Jimmie Rafferty, the 
miser, has gone crazy. He was here 
and what did the crathure imagine 
but that he was you. I thought I 
would have died laughing." 

Pat shuddered at his narrow escape, 
as he told her the whole story. From 
that day he never meddled with the 
good folk, but minded his own busi- 
ness, which prospered exceedingly, for 
the contents of the stocking helped 
him to restock the farm, and it soon 
became known far and wide as the 
most comfortable in the parish. But 
although he refused to work any more 
charms the name of the wise man of 
Awnascawil never left him, thus carry- 
ing out the old adage: "When a man 
gets the name of early rising he can 
sleep all day." 

A Pka for Galwa7« 

A CORRESPONDENT writing in re- 
gard to the Atlantic trade and 
the nearest and most suitable 
terminal port in Ireland, says: 

"A glance at the map will show that 
Galway is splendidly situated for the 
Atlantic trade. It is the most westerly 
port in the British Isles, possesses an 
excellent harbor, and is considerably 
nearer the American coast than 
Queenstown, Liverpool or Southamp- 
ton, to name but three of the British 
ports which will compete most keenly 
with it when the new line between Gal- 
way and Newfoundland is started. 

"The harbor at Galway is capable of 
being enlarged and developed to an al- 
most illimitable extent, and with a 
thoroughly efficient line of steamers 
and a good train service to Dublin it 
should soon become one of the busiest 
of Atlantic trading British ports. 

"What Galway is on this side of the 
Atlantic, St John's is on the American 
side. They are, as it were, outposts, 
and with these two bases the success 
of the contemplated enterprise depends 
entirely upon the proper equipment of 
the steamers and the careful organiza- 
tion of the connecting links between 
the ports and the chief centers of in- 
dustry. 

Galway as a terminal port will build 
up Connemara. It may be confidently 
expected that of the continuous stream 
of passengers a good many will break 
their journey at Galway to explore the 
surrounding country. An enormous 
traveling population will be intro- 
duced, money will be freely spent, and 
the long-needed spell of prosperity will 
commence for the West of Ireland." 



Ausfust^ J903* 
The Fairy Woman* 

By Nora Hopper. 

1MET a fairy woman— a woman of 
the shoe. 
And whiter was her forehead than 
foam upon the sea. 
Her voice was clear as water that 

dances down a hill. 
And woe's me for her laughter, for O! 
I hear it still. 

I met a fairy woman — a woman of the 

shee, 
And for a minute's laughter she took 

my soul from me. 
The sweetness of that laughter ^oes 

through me like a spear. 
And her doom is heavy on me the four 

sides of uie year. 

After the fah-y woman— the woman of 

the shee. 
My body needs must follow and the 

poor soul of me. 
And if she falls to piping, I dance and 

would not care 
Though the bridge twlxt me and 

drowning, were thinner than a 

hair. 

I love the fairy woman — the woman of 

the shee, 
My face is turned from fortune and 

grace is turned from me. 
Because her eyes are hazel, because 

her foot is light. 
And tiie hair of her is blacker than 

the thickest cloud of night 

I hear the fairy woman — ^the woman of 

the shee, 
My father's voice I hear not, my child 

I cannot see. 
If the dead wife I buried should rise 

up from her grave 
With tears to heal my madness, with 

hands held out to save. 

I could not put my hand in hers, her 
eyes I could not meet, 

Nor from the fairy dances keep my en- 
chanted feet. 

May death come soon to stay me and 
set my sick soul free 

From following forever a woman of 
the shee. 



To Our Readers* 

THE GAEL is unique and unexcelled. 
There is no other Irish magazine at 
any price so good or so interesting. 

Tell your trienas about it You will 
do them a favor by calling their atten- 
tion to it 

If you think some of them would like 
to see a copy, send us their names and 
addresses and we will mail to each a 
sample copy free of charge. 

All the leading newsdealers every- 
where keep it on sale. Some of the lit- 
tle dealers may not have it, but they 
can procure it for you from their News 
Company. 

The surest way is to send a dollar 
bill, or a check, or a postoffice money 
order for $L00 to THE GAEL, 140 Nas- 
sau Street, and you will then receive 
the magazine regularly and promptly 
each month forxft>year. 

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THE GAEL. 



26Í 




Cree's Lament for CaeL 




AINT PATRICK, with his 
traveling missionary re- 
tinue. Including Caeilte, 
we are told, was one day 
sitting on the hill which is 
now well-known as Ard- 
Patrick, in the County of 
Limerick. The hill be- 
fore this time was called 
Finn Ttdach, the Fair (or 
White) Hill, and Patrick 
asked Caeilte why or when it had re- 
ceived that name. 

Caeilte answered that its first name 
was Tulach-iia Feine\ but that Finn had 
afterwards given it the name of Finn- 
tul<ich. "And," continued Caeilte, it 
was from this hill that we marched to 
the great battle of Finntraigh (now 
Ventry Harbor). 

"One day that we were on this hill, 
Finn observed a favorite warrior of his 
company named Cael O'Nmmhain com- 
ing towards him, and when he had 
come to Finn's presence, he asked him 
where he had come from. Cael an- 
swered that he had come from Brugh 
in the north (that is the fairy man- 
sion of Bnigh on the Boyne). 

"What was your business there?" 
said Finn. 

"To speak to my nurse, Muirn, the 
daughter of Derg," said Cael. 

"About what?" said Finn. 

"Concerning Crrdc* the daughter of 
Cairbre, King of Kerry" {Ciaraighe 
Luachra), said Cnci. 

"Do you know," said Finn, "that she 
is the greatest deceiver (flirt, coquette) 
among all the women of Erinn; that 
there is scarcely a precious gem in all 
Erinn that she has not obtained as a 
token of love; and that she has not 
yet accepted the hand of any of her ad- 
mirers?" 

"I know it," said Cael, "but do you 
know the conditions on which she 
would accept a husband?" 

"I do," said Finn, "Whoever is so 
gifted in the art of poetry as to write 
a poem descriptive of her mansion and 
its rich furniture, will receive her 
hand." 

"Good," said Cael, "I have with the 
aid of my nurse composed such a 
poem; and if you will accompany me 
I will now repair to her court and pre- 
sent it to her." 

•The name Is written Crede or Credhe. 
but the dh Is silent and the name is pro 
nounced "Cree." 



Finn agreed to this proposal, and 
having set out on their journey they 
soon arrived at the lady's court, which 
was situated at the foot of the well- 
known mountains called the Paps of 
Anann, in Kerry. 

When they arrived the lady asked 
their business. Finn answered that 
Cael came to seek her hand in mar- 
riage. 

"Has he a poem for me?" said she. 

"I have," said C<iei, and he then re- 
cited a remarkable poem which has 
been preserved but is too long to print 
here. 

It is printed in full in Gaelic in Ap- 
pendix No. xciv., O'Curry's "Manu- 
script .Taterials of Ancient Irish His- 
tory," i.nd a literal translation into 
English is given commencing on page 
309, same work.) 

The young lady was, it seems, de- 
lighted with the poem, and readily con- 
sented to become the wife of the gifted 
Cad, and their marriage, we are told, 
took place soon after. 

Their happiness was, however, of 
short duration; for Cael was almost 
immediately called away to the great 
battle of Ventry Harbor, where he was 
killed in the midst of victory, flghting 
against the host of foreign, invaders. 

According to Crede's version Cael 
met his death after the invaders had 
been defeated and were in flight en- 
deavoring to escape in their war 
galleys. Crede swam out after one of 
the boats, the occupants of which 
seeing him approach and believing 
him to be one of their escaping war- 
riors, waited until he came alongside 
when he grappled with their chief and 
dragged him down to death beneath 
the water. 

He was buried by his comrades on 
the south side of the harbor in a place 
which was (after him it is said) called 
Traigh CaHl or the strand of Cael. 

Crede composed an elegy for him 
which is valuable to us, among other 
things, as containing some curious al- 
lusions to ancient customs as well as 
a description of the grave of her lover 
and the manner of his interment. 

Cre4e also composed a lament, which 
will be found in the Ca Fintragh-a or 
Battle of Ventry Harbor, edited by 
Prof. Knuo Meyer, Anecdota Oxonien- 
sia. "Mediaeval and Modern Series," 
Vol. 1, p. 4. 

Nine stanzas are given in the ori- 



ginal which have been translated for 
THE GAEL by Mr. M. R. Weld in the 
same measure and in imitation of the 
internal rhymes and assonance of the 
Gaelic. 

CREE'S LAMENT 

Moans the haven. 
As the wave on yonder head 
Breaks with sob of wildest grief. 
Mourning for the chieftain dead. 

The grey carne, 

In the wet marsh, straining wide 
Sheltering wings, her nestlings twain 
From the red fox fain would hide. 

Dead, the swan 
Floats upon the water wan; 
While his brood, in mute surprise, 
Bend sad eyes their sire upon. 

Sad the moan 

Of the stag for her, his own 
Mate, the lately-slaughtered hind. 
By unkind fate left alone. 

Sad the cries 

Of the thrush around me rise, 
While the blackbird's mellow throat 
With as sad a note replies. 

Shall I fail 

When e'en beasts and birds bewail. 
When e'en lifeless wind and wave 
Mourn my brave unconquered Caclt 

Dead, aye dead. 
Lies my Cael, by him who fled 
From the onset of his spear, 
Waters drear roll o'er his head. 

Oh woe's me! 

Dead is he who lay by me. 

Ah, that he, while here I weep, 

Lies there deep down under sea! 

Tears a shower. 

As they tower, the billows pour. 

No more joy in life have I 

Now that my brave lord's no more. 

Glad the days 

When my suitors brought me lays 
Many an one. to pay me court. 
Me and my fair fort to praise. 

Cael drew near 
In his turn, and to mine ear 
Words so sweet he knew to use. 
How could I refui»e>to hear? j 

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THE GAEL 



Augustf Í903* 



Since we wed 

All too* fast the moments sped. 
Angry aspect ne'er wore he. 
Harsh word ne'er to me he said; 

But pale fear 

Seized the foe as he drew near. 
Many a chief of loftiest mien 
Felt the keen thrust of his spear. 

In the field 

Sword or spear no more he'll wield; 
Nor to weapon-stroke shall sound 
Any more his wounded shield. 

What is left 

Me, now death the band hath cleft? 
What more Joy can earth afford 
Me, of my dear lord bereft? 

Requiem grand 

Ring the waves upon the strand. 
Thou would'st follow him would sail, 
Woe's me, Cuel, forth from the land; 

When he fled 

From the field of battle red; 
Gained his ship, with sail and oar 
Pushed from shore in panic dead, 

Thy spirit high 

Brooked not e'en one foe should fly; 
Bade thee plunge to follow him. 
Plunge and swim, alas to die. 

Thinking thee 

One of theirs who strove to flee. 
Lay they on their oars at rest. 
Paused, nor pressed their flight to sea. 

O'er the side 

Stretched his hand that chief of pride; 
Dragged he was in thy strong grip 
From his ship into the tide. 

Down together 
To the nether sea-sands cold 
Went ye under ne'er to sunder 
More from that grim hold. 

Sad the strain 

To the shore sung by the main — 
What though death be near, I die 
But to fly to Ca€l again. 

Sad the shame 

On the shore beat by the wave— 

When I go here lay me low, 

By the shore scoop out my grave. 

— M. R. WELD. 




Irish Mincrak on View* 

THE Department of Agriculture 
and "Technical Instruction for 
Ireland has placed on view for 
a period of three months at the Im- 
perial Institute. London, the extensive 
collection of Irish minerals and build- 
ing stones which formed one of the 
most interesting and valuable of their 
exhibits at the Exhibition in Cork. 

The exhibition embraces samples of 
the varied and excellent building ma- 
terials and marbles in which Ireland is 
particularly rich, and the opportunity 
of examining these samples will be of 
advantage to those who are concerned 
in the many large building schemes 
now in progress in London and else- 
where in Great Britain. 



By James Walsh, Ph« D., M. D. 



THE Parisian literary world Is 
prone to have its fads, if pos- 
sible, even more than other so- 
called literary worlds. In the inner 
circles of it, of late years, there has 
been the greatest interest in a man to 
whom the literary critics had given 
the name, illustrious in its flavor of an- 
tiquity, of "The Last of the Bards." 

The bearer of the name was Narcisse 
Quellien, the unfortunate poet who 
only a few months ago was run over 
in Paris by an automobile and died not 
long afterwards. 

Quellien had had an extremely inter- 
esting career and was in every way a 
being distinctly unmodern and almost 
touchingly helpless in the presence of 
modem life. He was not created for 
what the continentals call "great city 
life,", and was especially prone to lose 
his head in the midst of the bustle of 
the crowded streets, or busy open 
squares. It was almost heart-rending 
for him to have to cross an especially 
crowded highway during busy hours. 

Quellien was brought into special 
prominence in Paris by a series of lec- 
tures delivered by Professor Gaidoz, at 
the College de France on the youthful 
poet's works. Professor Gaidoz holds 
the Chair of Celtic Languages at the 
University of Paris. 

Quellien's writings were done in that 
form of Celtic that still exists to some 
extent in the old French Province of 
Bretagne. While he knew the French 
language very well he preferred to 
take chances of literary immortality 
by the expression of his poetic 
thoughts in his Celtic mother tongue, 
rather than in what ho considered the 
decadent idiom of his French com- 
patriots. 

It has been well said that he was 
for the north of France what Frederic 
Mistral, the famous Provencal poet, 
was for the south. The Provencal has, 
of course, created a wider circle of in- 
terest for itself than has the Armoric 
that is, the ancient Celtic language of 
Bretagne; but Quellien has done much 
in recent years to make known the 
possibilities of poetic expression in the 
older tongue. 

When Professor Gaidoz announced 
his course for the present year on 
Quellien, world-wide attention was at- 
tracted to this branch of Celtic which 
has scarcely been known outside of its 
own home except to a few philologists 
and specialists In Celtic tongues. 

Quellien's Idea, however, was not to 
get fame for himself and the title 
"The Last of the Bards," he welcomed 
only because it helped to draw atten- 



tion to what poetic souls had accom- 
plished in his mother tongue centuries 
ago. Their work unfortunately had 
been almost entirely forgotten. Like 
the old bard, he wanted not widespread 
fame nor successful exploitation of the 
public. He wished to be the poet of a 
nation, and willingly gave his sad 
songs to the beggars of Brittany to be 
sung all over the land in their wan- 
derings. 

Gaston Paris, who visited this coun- 
try on a lecture tour in very recent 
years, was one of Quellien's greatest 
admirers. He considered that the Cel- 
tic poet of Bretagne understood better 
than anyone else in these modern days 
how to bring out all the alluring mys- 
tical character of the old myths. He 
entered into their spirit and saw them 
with the sympathy of the original be- 
lievers. This has sometimes been 
spoken of as a lost sense in literature. 

Quellien's most important and most 
popular work contained the poetic re- 
vivication of an old Celtic legend In 
which the heroine played a role in an- 
cient pagan days not unlike that of 
Joan of Arc in medieval times. The 
legend is sometimes known as the 
"Story of the Car of Death." Among 
the old pagans of the north of France 
it seems that a mystical religious 
frenzy caused the devotees to throw 
themselves to their death beneath a 
huge car on which their pagan deities 
were borne somewhat as did the Indian 
devotees beneath the car of Jugger- 
naut. 

It is the sad irony of bitter fate to 
find that the poet who restored the old 
legend of the Car of Death to its poetic 
rights should himself find an untimely 
end beneath the wheels of a modern 
prosaic automobile. 

Poor Quellien found his Juggernaut 
upon a Parisian boulevard. The cause 
that he represented is however brought 
into pregnant public interest by his sad 
fate. The spirit of the old languages 
(s abroad, and Pan-Celticism, like Pan- 
Blavism. is to make its influence felt 
In the historical and ethnical develop- 
ment of the century just opening so 
gloriously. 

THE GAEL will be sent to any ad- 
dress in the United States or Canada 
for one year for $1.00, or to any ad- 
dress in Ireland or Great Britain, one 
year for 5 shillings. 

All subscriptions are payable In ad- 
vance. Checks or Post OflElce Money 
Orders should be made payable to 
THE GAEL, 140 Nassau Street, New 
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THE GAEL 



263 




PEN the door wide. 
Allle; did ye aot hear 
\^ the knocklQ'r' 
IP ''Open the door 
■" yourself, ye Ion g- 
legged ú^nadhjoun ! " 
retorted Teaguo 
O^Mulconry'a shrew- 
ish wife, as the knocking was repeat- 
ed. A rude answer would moat prob- 
ably havii requited her sharp speech 
had not one of the children, cowering 
together for warmth in the furthest 
eorner, risen and gone quickly and 
Qu.etly to the door and taken down the 
bar. 

"Lettin' the cold wind in on us, are 
ye, and we cold enpugh already, ye lit- 
tle dlvil?" the woman said, sharply, 
but without looking round. "Come in 
— whoever's there — in the name of the 
Great Dhmll" 

"There's nobody there, mammy," 
whimpered another of the children; 
"an' tell Dermot to shut the door, for 
we're cold — an' it's outside he is, 
mammy." 

"Och, come in, Dermot, aathore, or 
sleep the night outside," Alice O'Mul- 
conry said, in a tone that went ill with 
her gentle words. "Shut the door fast 
now, ma hoHchaleen buidhe'* (my yel- 
low-haired boy). "Quick now, or your 
father'll find a way to Jiurry ye, lame 
though ye be." 

Lame Dermot shut the door quickly 
and softly, and came forward to the 
hearth with a deprecating glance at his 
mother's red and wrathful face. "It's 
a little red dog is in it," he said, 
shrinking a little, as if he expected a 
blow, "and no one else outside at all." 

" 'Tis as foxy as the hair av ye, 
AUie," his father said, with a careless 
laugh. "Put the creature down and 
let it feel the flre— 'tis drenched it is. 
Here, AUie, woman, give us holt of a 
pratie; maybe the little beast's hun- 
gry." 

"Out it goes afther supper, were it 
the Queen's own dog," Allle said, as 
Dermot stood, holding the wet, rough 
little beast closely in his arms, watch- 
ing it eat and drink voraciously of a 
potato and a sup of buttermilk. 

"Set it down on the hearth, now, an' 
let it get warm," Teague said, when 
the little creature was fed and satis- 
fied. "Hurry now. boy, an' roast these 
praties in the ashes for your mother. 
Wisha, but how pleased the little red 
beast looks to be warm again! Did ye 
go to the priest's house to-day now, 
Allle darling, an' Dermot with ye?" 

"Yes," his wife said, sullenly; "an' 
Father Francis was onplisant because 



of the Tint that wasn't paid, an' said 
he knew that Larry Doyle, the land- 
lord, wanted the money worse than we 
—an' he niver afther dhrinkin' a sup 
av annything in a neighborly way." 

"Did he, now?" Teague said, with a 
great laugh. "That was cruel hard av 
Father Francis, sure now. An' did you 
weed the Father's garden to-day, Der- 
mot?" 

"Yes, father," the boy said, lifting 
the roasted potatoes from the ashes 
and piling them on his mother's plate. 

"An' the money? Come, Dermot, my 
son, give It to me quick, for the little 
brown Jug is empty, worse luck!" 

"Cruel little 'tis. too. • • • But 
the money, Teague, every penny, Der- 
mot paid into Larry Doyle's hand, an' 
me abusing him for the thief av the 
world all the time!" Mrs. O'Mulconry 
said angrily. Her husband's gray eyes 
grew a trifle lighter in color, and his 
lips tightened into an unpleasant smile, 
as he asked, quite coolly: 

"Is that so, Dermot, or is a lie?" 

"No, father; I gave the sixpence to 
Larry Doyle." 

"Did you, now? Come here, boy. 
• • • Oh, you're not afraid av me, 
then, like Fergus and Tim?" Under 
his ruffled thatch of yellow hair, Der- 
mot's dark eyes looked up at the 
threatening quiet of his father's face 
with the fearlessness of complete 
knowledge. 

"No, father, I'm not afraid." 

"Come now, that's brave hearing. 
Tell me now, ma boucJialeen huidhe, 
how many beatings do I owe ye?" Der- 
mot glanced at the belt on the floor 
and its formidable buckle, and his lips 
polled, though his eyes kept their clear 
courage. 

"Three ♦ ♦ • you said, father." 

"An' did ye think It's belting ye I 
would be for pay In' Doyle that money? 
Speak, now." 

"Yes, father." 

"Four that makes. Pick-up that belt 
now an' put it ready to my hand on the 



table • • • an' • • • thtrBty are 
ye. my Jewel? Dermot, take the Jug 
now an' give wee Mary a sup of the 
buttermilk. 

*'0h, Dermot!" the little girl whis- 
pered, as her brother limped across the 
room and knelt down that she might 
drink the easier. Dermot, I nlver saw 
Baddy look so hiack. He's not angry 
wid me?" 

"No, sure; only with me, Mary dar- 
ling/* Dermot whispered back. "Go to 
Bleep an' don't be afraid now, avour- 
neen." 

"Will he be afther beltin' you now?" 

Dermot nodded, smiling a little as 
wee Mary's thin little fingers tightened 
over his hand. 

"Daddy looks so black, Dermot 
avlck. It's frightened I am. Sure, he 
won't kill ye, will he?" 

"No, avourneen," Dermot whispered, 
comfortingly, "he'll not kill me . . . 
but"— lower still— "I wish he would. 
Hush now, glrleen dear," as Mary's 
blue eyes dilated with terror. "Shut 
your eyes fast and go to sleep now. Let 
me go, pulse of my heart." He put the 
clinging little hands away, and came 
back to the table, setting the Jug 
down. 

"It's asleep she is?" his mother said, 
sharply. 

Dermot shook his head. "No, not 
yet, Vanithee** (woman of the house), 
be said, gently. "It was frightened 
erhe was, lying there In the dark cor- 
ner; but she'll sleep now." 

"You'd betther, glrleen," Allle said, 
less harshly, with a glance at the cor- 
ner where the four children lay hud- 
dled together on a bed of fern. "Put 
another peat on the fire, Dermot, an' 
stow the pratle-klsh away, ♦ • ♦ 
an' do it quietly now and not wake the 
childher." 

"Yes, mother," the boy said below 
his breath, as he went softly about his 
task of bringing some sort of order out 
of the disorder of the frowsy cabin, 
conscious the while that his father and 
motber were watching him with eyes 
of contempt and dislike that was fast 
growing Into hatred, a hatred that fed 
on his lameness, his physical helpless- 
ness, and the white nature that neither 
of them could smirch or soil, however 
their malice disfigured Its garment of 
flesh-and-blood. 

The little red dog raised Its muzzle 
from Its paws and seemed to be watch- 
ing him. too, but kindly; and when 
his work was done and he leaned 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



264 

against the wall for a minute, gather- 
ing up his breath and closing his tired 
eyes against the dazzle of the fire, the 
little creature left its warm couch and 
nestled its cold nose gratefully into his 
hand. 

"Open the door an' put it out," Mrs. 
O'Mulconry said. "Move quicker now, 
Dermot!" 

"Mother, it's dark an' wet it is out- 
side, an' more rain coming. Let the 
dog bide here to-night," the boy 
begged. "Look how friendly 'tis." 

"Put the dog out • • ♦ or shall 
I?" 

Dermot opened the door a little way, 
and put the dog gently outside; then 
he closed tne door and turned quickly 
at the sound of a loud exclamation 
from his mother: "Omadhaun as ye 
are, look there now!" 

"The door's shut fast, mother." 

"An' the red brute's lying on the 
hearth again ♦ ♦ ♦ an' the door 
shut fast, is it? Dermot, nia bauchal, 
does Father Francis teach you to lie?" 

"I shut the door fast, father," the 
boy said in his gentle, hopeless voice, 
"an' the dog was outside. Maybe it's a 
fairy dog. it is." 

"Maybe or maybe, my fine lad, you 

shut the door fast an' the little red 

dog inside all the time," Teague said, 

smoothly. "Come here now, for your 

punishment, ma boiichaleen buidhc * * * 

or," as the boy hesitated, "is it fetch 

ye I must?" 

m m m m * * m 

"Did ye see the little red dog 
there? " the children whispered one 
to the other, when, bruised and 
breathless, Dermot had thrown 
himself down among them 
again, with his face to the 
mud wall. "Did ye see the eyes 
av him when Daddy was beltin' 
Dermot? An', for two pins, 'ud \w- 
have bin at Daddy's throat. I'm 
thinkin*, boys • ♦ • an* won't vve 
set him at Phil Casey's ould goat to- 
morrow? ♦ ♦ ♦ An', Dermot, Der- 
mot — come, it's not asleep ye are now 
— why wouldn't ye be afther bawlín'* 
as Tim an' I do, an' Daddy's hand 'iicl 
be lighter on ye? Dermot, I say--Der- 
mot, avick — look now. Mammy's nod- 
din*, an' ye niver tould us the Ind o' 
that story ♦ ♦ ♦ Dermot!" 

The touch of the eager little hands 
was like fire on Dermot's bruised 
shoulders, but his thirteen years had 
taught him the uselessness of com- 
plaints; and so he lay still and tried 
hard not to wince while Fergus and 
Tim crept close to him and Mary and 
little Paudeen thrust their cold hands 
inside his shirt to be warmed in his 
breast. 

"An' the Princess' women poured 
milk into the sthrame?" 

"Ay, did tney, Fergus! • ♦ • An' 
when he saw the hill-stream run white, 
up the hill went the Prince. An' he 
killed Blathmat's husband and set free 
his hostages, an' then " 

"He married Blathmat?" said a 
drowsy little voice. 

"Ay, Paudeen. ♦ ♦ • Hush now, 
for mother's awake." 

The last of the children passed from 
pretended to real slumber before Allie 
O'Mulconry had finished upbraiding 



THE GAEL. 

her husband for his extreme severity 
to the lame boy, and before her harr- 
angue was half ended, Teague had 
thrown himself down upon the bed 
and was asleep, too; but Dermot and 
his mother lay long awake, and, just ere 
the rain came, quenching the embers 
of the fire with a sputter, Allie O'Mul- 
conry saw the little red dog creep from 
the warm hearth and, crossing the 
room stealthily, lie down on Dermot's 
breast She made no further objection 
to its presence, and during the hard 
year that followed — made harder by 
persistent unkindnesa— little Rua was 
a good friend to Dermot, and helped to 
keep the boy's nature sweet, in spite 
of rough words and rougher usage. 

"There's a kind av weed grows all 
along the esker there; red it is an' 
climbing' an' where wance it has 
grown it cannot be stamped out, an' 
the weed is like Dermot's patience," 
Teague O'Mulconry said on a day when 
the back of the winter was broken, and 
the primroses gleamed yellow here and 
there among the tall grass of the esker 
running away west a few yards from 



August, I903* 




THE LITTLK RED DOQ. 



their door. "An', maybe, if he'd turn 
black an' ugly for wance, it's better 
we'd like him, eh, Allie?" 

"He is flesh av my flesh?" Allie said, 
gloomily, "an' grown have I to hate 
my flesh." 

"I thought he'd go wid the winter," 
Teague said, with a half smile, "but, 
maybe, he's a changeling, eh, Allie? 
An' the Shee have looked after their 
own. Augh, Allie jewel, we'll have a 
sthrange score to pay av they do." 

"I'll pay it," Allie said, defiantly, 
"an* welcome. What is it ails ye now, 
Mary an' Paudeen? Hungry, it is? 
Well, mother's comin'." 

"Give the little red dog a sup of 
milk, Allie," Teague said, as he went 
out, and his wife obeyed, being secretly 
a Uttle in awe of her husband, and very 
honestly and superstitiously afraid of 
the strange dog that slept all day long 
amid the ashes of the hearth. 

"Come, Mary agra an' dhrink fair, 



you Fergus an* Tim • ♦ • an' 
here's a hot pratie for ye, Paudeen, my 
man. What's that, Mary? No, ye will 
not be afther callin' Dermot into din- 
ner. Dermot can tell the 'good people' 
when It's hungry an' thirsty he is. 
Dermot, are ye hearin* me now?" 

"Yes, mother, I hear,** Dermot said, 
bending his pinched face lower over 
the iron pot he was patiently trying to 
mend. 

"There was a grand carriage went 
through Aghyorush to-day, an* Jimmy 
Whelan got a silver sixpence for show- 
in' his withered arm. Did ye see it, 
Dermot?" 

"Yes, mocaer." 

"An' you were too fine to go out an' 
beg," Tim put in. 

Mrs. O'Mulconry's face was dark 
with anger now, as Dermot turned and 
looked quietly at her with his steady, 
sorrowful eyes. 

"Go hungry or beg, Dermot— wan or 
t'other you*ll do. An*, av it's your 
mind to starve, sure it*s little I care/* 
she said harshly. "An', av the fancy 
takes ye to eat bread an* sup milk o' 
my buyin', my yellow-headed boy, 
you'll have to be afther runnin' beside 
In the dust av the cars an' beg quality 
for a penny, like other lame childher. 
A pretty thing for ye to be afther eat- 
in' when ye don't work!" 

Dermot looked at the bread with 
hungry eyes, but he did not speak or 
pi or est, somewhat to the virago's dis- 
ajifjointment. 

"Go out an' beg,*' she said again. 

"There's a carriage comin* down 

the hill now. an' quality in it. 

Go out an* beg a little penny 

avthem. ♦ ♦ • Tell them 

ye can buy joy for a penny in 

Tir-na-nOg. Go quick, now!" 

stamping her foot angrily. 

Dermot obeyed slowly and with a 
curious look in his dark eyes— a look 
which his mother could not understand 
and which made her follow him to the 
door and stand there watching the 
slender, stooping figure limping 
through the dust towards the ap- 
proaching carriage. 

The dust was blowing past her now 
so thickly that she could scarcely see, 
but she could hear the wheels coming 
nearer — could hear, too, a cry that was 
not Dermot's, and then the wheels died 
away in the distance, and through the 
dust Allie saw her husband coming to- 
ward her with Dermot in his arms — 
bruised and broken by the wheels and 
hoofs under which he had thrown him- 
self, but breathing still. 

"No. don't touch him!" Teague said 
fiercely, as he laid the boy down on the 
bed of fern. "Whisht, woman, an' 
don't be after throublin' him now. 
Isn't the docthor in it at Arramore to- 
day, Paudeen? Go see, annyhow, an' 
tell him Dermot's dyin* do ye hear?*' 

"An* take that brute out of it wid 
ye," Allie said, angrily, as the little 
red dog crept up to Dermot and began 
to lick his white face. Teague frowned. 

"Let the creature be; kinder has it 
been to him than aither av us, Allie. 
An' how is it wid ye now, Dermot 
avick?" as the boy moved uneasily, 
and sighed for the sharp pain that fol- 
lowed the movement 



August, 1903. 



THE GAEL* 



265 



"ril be better soon ♦ • •/* he said 
patiently, "♦ • ♦ an' will you be 
letting Rua be, father? It's not hurt- 
ing ipe he is ♦ ♦ ♦ an' little Mary's 
after playing by the well, mother." 

"Go see to her," Teague said, curtly, 
and, as his wife went out unwillingly, 
he stooped down and looked directly 
Into Dermot's eyes. "Do ye know it's 
dyin' ye are, ma bauchalV* 

"Yes, I know," the boy said, quickly. 
"An' it's glad I am. I was always the 
mouth too many." 

"God forgive us • • * an' so ye 
were. But I niver thought ye'd cut the 
knot yourself, Dermot, an' undher the 
wheels av quality too ♦ ♦ ♦ Der- 
mot"— suddenly— "it's not worse ye 
are? Sure, an' I sent Paudeen for the 
docthor and Tim for the priest, an', 
please God, that's him now knockin' 
at the door there. Come in, Father 
Francis, God bless ye; come in wld 

ye." 

Nobody entered, howeyer, and the 
knocking was repeated, so Teague 
opened the door and confronted a lady, 
hooded and cloaked in green. 

There was a wild bark, and the little 
red dog leapt up into her arms and lay 
there looking up into her face with 
shining eyes while she crossed the 
threshold, uninyited, and sat down on 
a stool beside the empty hearth. 

"You fed my dog for a year and 
more," she said, looking up at Teague, 
who stood near, watching her uneasily, 
"yet he growls at you • ♦ ♦ How 
comes that? Did you grudge the food?" 

"Yes," Teague said, sullenly. 

"Did no one give my dog kindness as 
well as food?" she asked, still keeping 
her bright eyes on the man's face. "Is 
there no grace left to the name of Mul- 
conry? Or did you all forget that the 
'good people' are strong people yet?" 

Teague drew back a step or two, 
with the uneasy fear quickening in his 
face. "Is it teasin' ye are?" he mut- 
terec; then, as he caught the lady's 
eyes, he backed again. ♦ ♦ ♦ 

"Well?" ♦ • ♦ 

"Woman o' the 8hee, he liked the lit- 
tle red dog," nodding at Dermot, who 
grew from red to pale and from pale 
to red again as the lady turned in her 
seat and looked fixedly at him. 

"Ay!" she said, nodding; "it was I 
who threw you down. And is it whole 
again you'd rather be? No? I thought 
I was giving you a good gift, Dermot 
avourneen." 

"You did," Dermot said, faintly, "an* 
It's glad I am of it. Woman o' the 
Shee" 

"Glad am I, too," she said, rising, 
with her eyes still on him; "and will 
you make me gladder, Dermot? Come 
to me, then." 

She set the little red dog down now 
and held out both her hands, and 
Teague watching, saw a flash of Joy 
shoot across Dermot's face as she 
spoke. Then he sprang back, crying 
out aloud, for Dermot had risen and 
without any symptoms of lameness had 
come to the lady's side, and his eyes 
were shining Into hers." 

"God save all here!" said Father 
Francis, as he pushed past Allie and 
stooped over Dermot "My grief. Mrs. 
O'Mulconry, you fetched me too late! 



See here, now! Poor boy, poor boy!" 
As the priest stooped lower to cross 
the dead lad on breast and forehead, 
Allie broke into loud crying and tears; 
but, in the sunlit doorway, Teague 
O'Mulconry laughed softly to himself 
as he looked across the potato field to 
the smooth ridge of the esker, amid 
whose fair green grass and tall mea- 
dow-sweet went the nameless lady, 
with Dermot walking erect beside her, 
while behind them ran and frollicked 
the little red dog. 



The Population of Scotland* 

THB annual report of the Regis- 
trar-General on the births, 
deaths and marriages registered 
In Scotland last year have been issued 
as a Blue Book. 

It states that the population of Scot- 
land at the middle of the year 1902 
was estimated at 4,531,299, the males 
numbering 2,204,503, and the females 
2,326,796. The births recorded during 
the year were 132,250, the deaths 77,946, 
and the marriages 31,878. Hence for 
every 100 of the estimated population 
there were 2.92 births, 1.72 deaths, and 
0.70 marriages. 

Comparing -these rates with the rates 
for the previous year a decrease is 
found in the case of the births and 
deaths, the marriage rate being almost 
the same. The birth rate was the low- 
est recorded. The last census showed 
that for the first time the population of 
Scotland exceeded that of Ireland. 



Max O'Rell and the Four 
Races. 



'W 



THEN Max O'Rell came to Mon- 
treal some years ago," said 
a man from that city, "we 
fixed up a little Joke on him. We had 
noticed how gracefully he could unite 
a caustic criticism with a compliment, 
a faculty that enabled him to say the 
sharpest things without offending the 
people he was criticizing. We proposed 
to put that faculty to a test. 

"We had him lunch with us, and 
there were at the table, besides him- 
self, an Englishman, a Scotchman, an 
Irishman, and a French Canadian. 
When we got our guest off his guard, 
we demanded an honest opinion of the 
different races we represented. As the 
opinion had to be given in the presence 
of all four, the situation for him was 
a rather delicate one. But it never 
seemed to trouble him, and he gave his 
opinion without a moment's hesitation. 

" 'The Scotchman,' he said, and he 
clenched his right hand tightly and 
pretended to try and force it open with 

his left. 'The Englishman ' and he 

went through the same performance, 
opening the hand at the end after an 

apparent struggle. 'The Irishman ,' 

and he held out his hand wide open, 
with palm upward. 'The i renchman — ,' 
and he made a motion with both hands 
as if he were emptying them on the 
teble. 

"There was not a word of explana- 
tion, but*we all understood thoroughly, 
and had a hearty laugh. Max O'Rell 
had maintained his reputation." 



The West Wind's Message* 

By Mary A. O'Reilly. 

POOR heart o' me lie low, lie low, 
The West wind has begun to 
blow. 
Then to the river we shall go 
To hear the news he brings. 

He comes from o'er the Western sea; 
All secrets of the air hath he, 
Ood gave him leave to wander free 
And spread his wondrous wings. 

But when he lights on our dark Nore, 
He stays those mighty wings, asthore, 
And to the rushes by the shore 
He whispers a wave — croon — 

A wave-croon sweet to hear, machree, 
All knowledge of the earth and sea 
To us would but a burden be 
Without this mystic rune. 

1 set my soul the words to hear. 
In minor notes they reach mine ear, 
Love-music from a voice moat dear, 
Beyond th' uniting sea. 

Poor heart o' me when thou art sore. 
Ah, turn to mortal kind no more. 
Go seek the rushes by the shore. 
Sweet peace they'll give to thee. 



Irish Ornamental Art* 

MR. GEORGE COFFEY, Keeper of 
Antiquities in the Irish Museum, 
Dublin, delivered an interesting 
lecture on "Irish Ornamental Art" to 
the Irish Literary Society, at 20 Han- 
over Square, London. Mr. Herbert 
Trench presided during the first part 
of the lecture, but was obliged to 
leave early, when Mr. A. P. Graves 
took the chair. 

The lecturer dealt with the art and 
progress of the great Celtic race, 
which was the greatest power in 
Europe from 1000 B. C. to 400 B. C. 
In 392 B. C. these Celts, known as the 
great Celtic Empire, sacked Rome. 
Celtic art is distinct from Roman and 
Greek art. It has more life and energy. 
The curve lines, which are character- 
istic of Celtic art, were known in Ire- 
land 400 years B. C. These curves 
were revived in Gothic art many huii- 
dred years after, and by the Celts. 
Ireland was a part of the great Celtic 
Empire, the lecturer contended, cut off 
by the sea. 

The lecture was illustrated by lan- 
tern slides, and many exquisite speci- 
mens of ancient Irish stone and metal 
work were shown, amongst them Uie 
Shrine of St Patrick's Bell, date 800 
A. D., and the Cross of Cong, date 
1123 A. D. All Irish shrines had keep- 
ers. The post was hereditary, and the 
keepers' names were registered. Also 
the dates were engraved on the 
shrines, with the names of the donor 
and maker, so the date of those famous 
shrines can be fixed. Illustrations 
from the Books of Kells and Durrow 
were given. The work of the former 
is so fine that, in former times, many 
believed that it could not have been 
executed 
Digiti: 



Luai iL cuuxu uui aave 



266 



THE GAEL. 



August, 1903. 




William Butler Yeats. 



By F* Sfdgwick« 



U\ 



^TRELAND, where all has failed." 
I These words are used by Mr. 
Yeats in one of his books, which 
alone is sufficient to disprove his state- 
ment The recent output of literature 
from Ireland has been one of the most 
remarkable events of the last twenty 
years; and there is still a prophet to 
be found who says that the next liter- 
ary giant of our islands will 
be one of the race of Irish 
Celts. 

Especially in poetry and 
folk-song is Ireland rich. 
Headed by Mr. Yeats, the list 
includes many well-known 
names: Dr. Dougles Hyde, 
Lady Gregory, Mr. George 
Moore, "A. E." (Mr. George 
Russell), T. W. RoUeston, 
"Moira O'Neill" (Mrs. Skrine), 
Miss Norah Hopper (Mrs. Ches- 
son), Katharine Tynan (Mrs. 
Hinkson), Dora Sigerson (Mrs. 
Shorter), and others. 

Mr. Yeats' literary activity, 
since he gained a name for the 
charm of his writing, has been 
no less remarkable than his 
versatility. Poems, plays, 
prose; criticism — literary, ar- 
tistic and dramatic; the gath- 
ering of folk-tales, the compil- 
ing of anthologies, and the 
editing of other poets— in each 
he has done good work. 

Beginning with poems con- 
tributed to periodicals in Dub- 
lin in 1892. Mr. Yeats publish- 
ed "The Ck)untess Cathleen," 
which first drew the attention 
of a larger public than is en- 
vironed by the shores of Ire- 
land. This book contains the 
.little drama that gives its 
name to the book, and which 
has since been acted in Dublin 
— ^with thirty policemen in at- 
tendance to preserve order! — 
and the book also contains a 
few of Mr. Yeats' most beauti- 
ful lyrics, notably, "When you 
are old and gray and full of sleep," and 
"The Lake-Isle of Innisfree." 

In the next year, 1893, besides writ- 
ing "The Celtic Twilight," a book of 
strange and beautiful legends, the 
tenor of which may be guessed from 
the title of the book, Mr. Yeats found 
time to edit in two forms the works of 
William Blake, mystic, seer and poet, 
whose splendid symbolism and strange 



philosophy Mr. Yeats has elaborated 
and explained. 

"The Land of Heart's Desire," "The 
Secret Rose," 'The Wanderings of 
Oisin," "The Wind among the Reeds," 
"The Shadtrwy Waters" — the very 
titles of Mr. Yeats' books are sugges- 
tive of their peculiar charm, and sym- 
bolical of the curious vague longings 




WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS. 
Bom June 13tb, 1£65. 

and dreamy desires which are charac- 
teristic of the Celtic temperament. 
And, as Rossetti said of the five hand- 
maidens of Mary, the Irish names 
with which Mr. Yeats peoples his 
books are so many "sweet symphonies" 
— Aodh, Dectora, Oisin, Oona, Maive, 
Forgael and Cuchulain. • 

This poetry of sound, typical of the 
sweet Irish tongue, is part and parcel 



of all Mr. Yeats' own work in prose or 
In verse. Read the concord of sweet 
sounds in the poem referred to above, 
"The Lake-Isle of Innisfree," or read 
this sentence, chosen at random from 
the later edition of "The Celtic Twi- 
light": "I love better than any theory 
the sound of the Gate of Ivory turning 
on its hinges, and hold that he alone 
who has passed the rose-strewn 
threshold can catch the glim- 
mer of the Gate of Horn." 

Old Hobbes says in the "Le- 
viathan" that words are the 
counters of wise men and the 
money of fools; which means 
that the wise man utters noth- 
ing base. Mr. Yeats uses his 
counters with consummate skill 
and charm. 

Lately some of his shorter 
prose plays have been acted in 
London under the auspices of 
the Irish Literary Society, by 
members of the Irish company 
that originally produced them 
in Dublin for the Irish Nat- 
tional Theatre. 

"C a t h 1 e en - ni - Houlihan," 
which has been published in 
London for English readers, is 
an allegory in one act of the 
power of love swayed by Cath- 
leen-ni-Houllhan — an ancient 
poetic name of Ireland herself 
— over her sons; wherin a 
young man on his bridal-eve is 
called away to fight for his 
country. 

"The Pot of Broth" is a com- 
edy, showing how a beggar ob- 
tained his supper by tricking a 
miserly old peasant woman. 

"The Hour Glass" might be 
called the Irish "Everyman." 
It is a morality, showing the 
terror and repentance of the 
wise man, who on a sudden re- 
ceives a divine message of ap- 
proaching death, and the pains 
of purgatory, if he cannot find 
one who believes, in the short 
hour ere his death. Pupils, wife, chil- 
dren—he has taught them all to believe 
not what they see not; but a poor fool 
who hafe begged pennies of him be- 
lieves, for he has spread nets on the 
hills to catch the feet of angels. 

Before these lines appear, there will 

have been issued two new books by 

Mr. Yeats: "Ideas of Good and Evil," 

a book of essaysy'^ome coUecied from 

Digitized by V^005lC 



August, Í903, 



THE GAEL. 



magazines, some new; and a prose five- 
act play, "Where There Is Nothing." 
It is a curious tale of an Irish land- 
owner who, from utter weariness of 
artificiality, gave up the life and laws 
of society, and joined first a vagrant 
band of tinkers, and afterward a broth- 
erhood of monks. 

The drama, indeed, has of late oc- 
cupied much of Mr. Yeats' tl^oughts. 
He seeks to reform not only the writ- 
ing of plays, but scenery, acting and 
speaking. Mr. Yeats* theory of scenery 
is simply the massing of colors; and 
we must certainly praise any effort, 
such as Mr. Gordon Craig's first at- 
tempts, to replace the gaudy, eye-dis- 
tracting impossibilities which now 
cause a play to be described as "richly 
mounted." 

And amongst all our serious actors 
and actresses there is scarcely one — 
excepting perhaps certain past and 
present members of Mr. F. R. Benson's 
company — who knows how poetry 
should be spoken. We sincerely trust 
that Mr. Yeats and his supporters. In- 
cluding Mr. T. Sturge Moore, himself 
a writer of poetical drama of excellent 
merit, will yet do much to reorganize 
the prevalent methods of speaking, of 
acting, and of scenery, three reforms 
of which the modern stage stands in 
great need. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

1886— Poem: The Seeker. Dublin Uni- 
versity Review: Sept. 
1886— The Two Titans. Dublin Univer- 
sity Review: March. 
Mosada. Dublin University Re- 
view: June. 
Miserrlmus. Dublin University 

Review: Oct 
The Poetry of Sir Samuel Fergu- 
son. Dublin University Re- 
view: Nov. 
1887— Mosada. 

188&— The Wanderings of Oisin. 
1892— The Ck)untess Kathleen. 

John Sherman and Dhoya. 
X893— The Celtic Twilight. 

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales. 
The Moods. Bookman: Aug. 
The Stolen Bride. Bookman: No- 
vember. 
1894— The Land .of Heart's Desire. 

The Song of the Old Mother. 
Bookman: April. 

1895— A Book of Irish Verse. 
Poems. 
To Some I have Talked With by 

the Fire. Bookman: May. 
On Irish National Literature. 

Bookman: July to October. 
A Song of the Rosy-Cross. Book- 
man: October. 
1896 — On William Morris' Book "The 
Well at the World's End." 
Bookman: November. 
Everlasting Voices. New Review: 
January. 
1897— The Secret Rose. 

The Tables of the Law, The Ad- 
oration of the Magi. 
1897— On Robert Bridges; a Living 
English Poet Bookman: June. 



The Desire of Man and of Wo- 
man. Dome: vol. 2. 

O'SuUlvan the Red upon His 
Wanderings. New Review: Au- 
gust. 

On the Tribes of Danu. New 
Review: Nov. 
1898— A Book of Images, Introduced by 
W. B. Yeats. 

On Ernest Rhys' "Welsh Bal- 
lads." Bookman: April. 

Bressel, the Fisherman. Cornish 
Magazine: December. 

On the Celtic Element In Litera- 
ture. Cosmopolls: June. 

Aodh to Dectora. Dome: May. 

Song of Mongan. Dome: Oct. 

On Miss Althea Gyles and the 
Coming of Symbolic Art Aodh 
pleads witli the Elemental 
Powers. Dome: Dec. 

On Irish Death Superstitions; 
The Broken Gates of Death. 
Fortnightly: April. 

On Superstition In Ireland; The 
Prisoners of the Gods. Nine- 
teenth Century: Jan. 
1899— A Note on National Drama. 

John Egllnton and Spiritual Art 

The Autumn of the Flesh. 

Poems. 

The Wind Among the Reeds. 

On Ireland Bewitched. Contem- 
porary Review: Sept 

On the Theatre. Dome: April. 

On "Dust hath closed Helen's 
Eyes," by Raftery. Dome: Oct 

On the Literary Movement in 
Ireland. North American Re- 
view: Dec. 
1900— The Shadowy Waters. 

On the Irish Literary Theatre. 
Dome: Jan. 

On the Symbolism of Poetry. 
Dome: April. 

On the Philosophy of Shelley's 
Poetry. Dome: July. 
1901— Poems. 

On tlie Fool of Faery. Kensing- 
ton: June. 

On Magic. Monthly Review: Sep. 
1901— Cathleen-nl-Houllhan; a Play. 

The Celtic Twilight (New and 
enlarged edition). 

What is Popular Poetry? Corn- 
hill Magazine: March. 

Speaking to the Psaltery. Month- 
ly Review: May. 

Baile and Allllnn. Monthly Re- 
view: July. 

Adam's Curse. Monthly Review: 
December. 
1903— Ideas of Good and Evil: a Book 
of Essays. 

Plays tor an Irish Theatre: vol. 
L "Where There is Nothing." 

WORKS EDITED BY W. B. YEATS. 

1888— Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish 

Peasantry. 
1889— Stories from Carleton, with an 

IntT'oduction. 
1892— Irish Fairy Tales. 
1893— The Works of William Blake. 

Poems of William Blake. 
1899— Beltalne. The Organ of the Irish 

Literary Theatre. 



267 

MAGAZINE ARTICLES ON W. B. 
YEATS. 

1887— Note on W. B. Yeats. Irish 

Monthly: March. 
1889— J. Todhunter on Yeats' "Wan- 
derings of Olsin." Academy: 
vol. 35, p. 216. 
To William B. Yeats, by Robert 

Rellly. Irish Monthly: May. 
Our Poets— W. B. Yeats, by R. 
Mulholland. Irish Monthly: 
July. 
1892— Lionel Johnson on "The Coun- 
tess Kathleen." Academy: Oc- 
tober. 
1893— Katharine Tynan on W.B. Yeats. 
Bookman: Oct. 
A Review of W. B. Yeats' Wm. 
Blake. Review of Reviews: 
February. 
1894— On W. B. Yeats' Poems. CriUc: 
June. 
Note on The Land of Heart's De- 
sire. Critic: July. 
Notes on Celtic Twilight Critic: 

September. 
Biographical Notice. New Ire- 
land. Review: Dec. 
1895— Note on W. B. Yeats. Critic: Dec. 
1896— E. Rhys on W .B. Yeats' Poems. 

Academy: Feb. 
1897— A Living Poet, by Richard Ashe 
King. Bookman: Sept 
Review of "The Secret Rose." 
Critic: Nov. 

1899— The Countess Cathleen. New 
Ireland Review: June. 

1900— Dora M. Jones on ''The Celtic 
Twilight" London Quarterly 
Review: July. 
The Shadowy Waters. North 

American Review: May. 
New England Dawn and Celtic 
Twilight; notes on the phil- 
osophy of W. B. Yeats by Mrs. 
Duncan. Theosophical Re- 
view,: Sept 

1902— W. B. Yeats, with portrait Great 
Thoughts: April. 



^T^HE contents of Mr. W. B. Yeats' 
I forthcoming volume of essays, 
* "Ideas of (Jood and Evil," in- 
clude chapters on What is "Popular 
Poetry"? Speaking to the Psaltery, 
Magic, The Happiest of the Poets. The 
Philosophy of Shelley's Poetry, At 
Stratford-on-Avon, The Philosophy of 
William Blake, William Blake and His 
Illustrations to "The Divine Comedy," 
Symbolism In Painting, the Symbolism 
of Poetry, The Theatre, The Celtic 
Element in Literature, The Autumn 
of the Body, The Moods, The Body of 
the Gather Christian Rosencrux, The 
Return of Ulysses, Ireland and the 
Arts, The Mind of Women, The Three 
Shafts. 

The volume will be published by the 
Macmlllan Company. 




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THE GAEL, 



Augfust» J903. 




Our National Heritage» 



THERE is nothing in all material nature that shows the 
handiwork of the great Creator to such a marvellous 
degree as the brain of man. That organ, whereby all 
that is divine in humanity manifests its presence more or 
less clearly, according to the perfection of the instrument, 
is, ow!ng to the requirements of man's spiritual nature, at 
once the most delicate, the most sensitive and most intri- 
cate in his body, its development marks the intellectual 
capacity, reasoning power and gift of expression of the 
owner. There is a natural development which is a primary 
condition born in the individual, tJie result of heredity, and 
an artiflcial development, a secondary condition brought 
about by education. 

It is with the natural development that this paper will 
mainly deal, for without the necessary physical brain per- 
fection, all the education in the world could not create an 
intellect. Eiach brain has its pos^bilities. When these 
possibilities are realized, the limit of artificial development 
' has been reached. The organ is then working to its ut- 
most limit, and to require more from it than it has been 
' fitted by nature to do. Is to break down and ruin for ever 
, the delicate mechanism of which It is composed. 
' A many-sided brain, an organ of great possibilities, is 
the natural heritage of the Celt, and more particularly the 
"Trlsh Celt, whose varied gifts denote a wealth of natural 
brain cells not found in any other race of which I know. 
; What is also true is the apparent evenness of development 
-found in these cells, resulting in a 'lack of any dominant 
aim, a restlessness which has won for him the title of "the 
Frenchman of the Celtic race," and a peculiar adaptability 
to all conditions and circumetances. Mafk the high sense 
of chivalry, to be found in even the roughest men; the lofty 
spiritual trend of the race which has given the world count- 
less Irish saints, missionaries and ecclesiastics; the wild 
love, amounting almost to a pas&ion, for music and poetry 
that has caused Ireland to be called the Land of Song; and 
last, though not least, observe the wonderful facility in the 
use of words that makes the speech of not merely the most 
highly educated scholar but also that of the humblest farm 
laborer sparkle withr gems of humorous wit. 

It has long baflled the ethnolog^ist to account for the fre- 
quent instances where Irishmen, born of uneducated par- 
ents, have leaped from the humblest strata of society into 
the front 'ranks of thinkers, orators, litterateurs, artists 
and professional men, without the intervention of a single 
generation between the peasant and the celebrity. There 
ls.no race In air Europe In which there are such numerous ' 
cases of rapid mental development to be found and the 
phenomenon has caused much discussion regarding the nat- 
ural laws to which may be ascribed the extraordinary 
physical growth which so often separates two generations 
by a broad Intellectual gulf. 

Psychology alone will solve the enigma for us, as It opens 
the book of nature's law at a page where a satisfactory ex- 
planation can be found. It teaches us that once a brain cell 
is created through a stimulus of the sensoral tract by some 
Impression received tlirough the organs of sensation, it re- 
mains in the brain until the death of that organ. When 
some new stimulus occurs of a similar nature to that which 
created the brain cell, or similar to one received in associa- 
tion with it, the brain cell is once more set into action and 
a mental image is created. The oftener such a cell is called 
into action the more vigorous its growth, and if overdevel- 
oped by excessive use becomes a dominating infilience, dis- 
turbing the equilibrium of the brain and absorbing its 



power of purposive action. Reason then becomes dethroned 
and the condition is termed mania. 

There is no doubt in the minds of physiologists that the 
characteristics of the brain are transmitted hereditarily 
from one generation to another, with as much fidelity as are 
the external features of the body. The brain cells, being 
a physical quantity are, therefore, as truly a heritage as 
the color of the hair, the shape of the head or the stature 
of the body. Conditions of life may be such that the sur- 
roundings cannot, furnish the sensorial impressions neces- 
sary to stimulate these cells Into an activity which would 
denote their existence, but they are there, nevertheless, and 
only await the time when such a stimulus will be given, be 
it in this generation or in ten generations hence. 

Let us take a natural gift of the Irishman, one for which 
he is celebrated—his readiness of language, and ascertain 
why it is so largely a trait of the race, no matter what the 
condition or position in life. Does anyone of even fairly 
good reasoning powers Imagine for a moment that cli- 
matic influence is accountable for it? Surely none can 
credit the food he eats witli giving him that rapid choice of 
words which makes him, with the necessary education and 
proper environment the greatest of orators, and, under any 
and all conditions, the most brilliant of wits. 

This faculty for selecting words sub-consciously is not 
primarily developed in an individual; it was not created in 
a generation, nor In a hundred generations. Far Into the 
misty past, ere the wolf suckled the founders of ancient 
Rome, and before Athena's earliest shrine crowned the 
Acropolis of Athens, the development of that faculty had 
begun. I^ong before the saintly Patrick arrived In Ireland, 
the racial brain had reached a high degree of development, 
for at a much earlier date there were books in the country, 
music and the more material arts were in a comparatively 
advanced state of excellence; centuries before he was born 
Ireland had a complete legal code which was sufficient for 
all the needs of the age, and this was at a time when its 
neighboring island was in a state of savagery; fully five 
centuries before Ethelbirht, King of Kent, first collected 
together the meagre scraps of existing Saxon law, and 
seven centuries before Alfred the Greait, whose education 
had been credited to Ireland, made the first compilation of 
English law that could be at all dignified by the name of 
a code. 

The wonderful intellectual capacity of the Irish race Is 
not to be credited to the early Christian missionaries, for 
they were settled in southern England long before they ob- 
tained a footing in Ireland, and the little impression they 
left on the Saxon brain after their long sojourn in Britain 
does not argue well for any claim on Irish cerebral develop- 
ment that might be made for them. 

Again, the Irish code of laws was complete before the foot 
of a Christian was placed on Irish soil, and, for aught we 
know, centuries before the Christian era. To the early 
soldiers of the Cross belong the credit, without question, of 
the introduction of letters, systematized music, and many 
other arts and sciences into Ireland. But a brain was there 
of sufficient capacity to absorb and quickly digest their 
teachings: a brain capable of immediately grasping the full 
significance of their spiritual mysteries, so that the con- 
quest of the Irish ^on\ was accomplished by Christianity 
without the loss of a single life. 

Before the death of St. Patrick letters were almost uni- 
versal in the island, with a host of scholars who were not 
only conversant with their own tongue, but also with Latin. 



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THE GAEL. 



269 



Jhis wonderful result oould not have been achieved with 
any aborii^lnal or primitive brain in the Bhort ai>ace of 
sixty years which elapsed between the arrival of the saint 
and his death. A brain capable of accomplishing such a 
feat had certainly been developed through ages of culture. 
How long the building of the mass of brain cells had been 
going on before the coming of St Patrick, we cannot tell, 
but it is sufficient fpr our purposes here to know that even 
then It had taken a great cycle of centuries. 

The origin of the poetical art in Ireland is also lost in the 
recesses of the past. More has been demanded of poetry 
there than elsewhere, and it was brought to the highest 
state of perfection. The most intricate metres and forms 
were invented for the correct oral transmission of history, 
law and sciences. In fact, all records whi<ch needed abso- 
lute protection from alteration were composed in poetical 
form; the more valuable accounts being in the most intri- 
cate metres., so that any attempt to change them was in- 
stantly detected by the false quantity in the measure, ab- 
sence of proper alliteration or imperfection In rhyme. This 
necessitated a wonderful command of words on the part of 
the poetic constructor. Let any Ehiglish scholar, who deems 
this an easy task, attempt an historical essay of ten or 
twenty stanzas in one of the antique Irish forms, such as 
Dr. Douglas Hyde has explained in one of his books dealing 
with Irish metrical poetry, and I feel sure that he will be 
convinced of the pre-eminent intellectual ability of the old 
bards before he has finished. 

The faculty developed by such mental exercises as this 
complex construction of poetry is, in my belief, responsible 
for the fluency of speech which is now natural to the Irish 
race. Musical culture of so high an order that the island 
harpers were everywhere in demand during the Middle 
Ages; the artistic training which has left such traces behind 
as the Book of Kells, the Tara Brooch and the Cross of 
Cong; and the chivalry of the Knights of Emania; all these 
did not generate in a brief space of time, nor shall they die 
out in a few years. The portions of the brain which were 
then powerful enough to enable a race to accomplish such 
wonders have not become extinct; they lie asleep until the 
necessary impulse arrives which will arouse them into 
activity. 

This is the heritage of the Irish race. Centuries of an- 
cient culture has given it an organ on which that Gk)d-like 
attribute, the soul, can play the most glorious harmonies 
th? world has ever known. It is all there and it is the 
property of each and every member of that race. What 
wonderful possibilities, therefore, are within the reach of 
all our people, if they will but realize the value of their 
national heritage! If we could but make ourselves a race 
of readers, so that we can learn to know ourselves; to rea- 
lize the powers within us and seek the best means of utiliz- 
ing them ! Could we achieve these things we would become 
a race of Intellectual giants, and Ireland would be once 
more, as sVe was in the past, the teacher of a world. 

M. J. MURPHY. 



And Then? 



Longing. 

I'M just smothered in the city till Fm not myself at all, 
An it's kilt I am from strivin' not to think of Donegal! 
Och! an' weary'j* on my dreamin'! When I should be 
sleepin' soun'. 
Sure it's climbin' up Knockalla that I am, or runnin' down! 

Tet there's nothin* back o' Mescaun, barrin' black an' 

mouldy peat, 
An' there's nothin' on Knockalla fit for man or beast to eat; 
An' sure, what is there on Croghan but gray rocks an' 

heather brown? 
An' who'd be grievin' for the like, that ever saw a town? 

Tet that same is just the puzzle that I never can get right; 
It moiders me the live-long day, an* worries me all night, 
For, while here I've lots of everythng, an' boots upon my 

feet. 
Sure it's cracked I am to run again unshod amongst the 

peat! 

— CATHAL MAC GARBHAIGH. 



SHALI^ we fold our hands when the fight is ended» 
And the broken fetters reluctant fall? 
When freedom comes after long endeavor. 
Shall our hate be buried in love forever, 
And the bitter past be forgotten all? 

Shall we think no more on the blood expended, . 

On the days of want and the nights of woe. 
On the galling chains and the taunts more galling. 
And the famine-murdered for vengeance calling, 

Where the graves, like waves, lie row on row? 

Could we bury our hate in some desert lonely. 

That its eyes might never accuse us more! 
But there's not a rood of our land unwatered 
With the blood of myriad martyrs slaughtered 
In the grievous years that have gone before. 

Hadst thou left us a poor God's acre only 
We had buried our bitter burden there; 
We had clasped in love the hand extended. 
Forgiving all when the fight was ended| 
But that hallowed spot, we shall find It— where? 

—JAMBS JBFFRBY ROCHB. 



Where the Beautiftil Rivers Flow* 

OH, I'll sing to-night of a fairy land, in the lap of the 
ocean set. 
And of all the lands I have traveled o'er, 'Us the 
loveliest I have met; ; 
Where the willows weep, and the roses sleep, and the 

balmy breezes blow. 
In that dear old land, that sweet old land, where the beau- 
tiful rivers fiow. 
But oh, alas! how can I sing?— 'tis an exile breathes the 

strain, 
And that dear old land of my youthful love I may never 

see again; 
And the very Joys that fill my breast must ever change to 

woe 
For that dear old land, that sweet old land, where the 

beautiful rivers flow. 
But I'll sing of the lonely old church-yards where our 

fathers' bones are laid — 
Where the cloisters stand, those ruins grand that our tyrant 

foes have made; 
And I'll strike the harp with a mournful touch, «till th# 

glist'DÍng tears will show 
For that dear old land, that sweet old land, where the beau- 
tiful rivers flow. 
And I'll sing of Emmet's lonely fate, and of his lonely 

grave — 
Of his early doom in his youthful bloom, and his spirit 

more than brave; 
But ah! how blest and calm his rest, tho' his grave be cold 

and low. 
In that dear old land, that sweet old land, where the beau- 
tiful rivers flow. 
And I'll sing of Tone and the Geraldine, Lord Bdward the 

true and blest — 
They won the crown— the martyr's crown— €uid they sleep- 

in shade and rest; 
In heavenly mold their names are enrolled— they died in 

manhood's glow. 
For that dear old land, that sweet old land, where the 

beautiful rivers flow. 
And I'll sing of Ireland's ancient days, when her sires were 

kingly men, . ^ ,^ 

Who led tbe chase, and the manly race, thro' forest, field 

and glen; 
Whose only word was the shining sword— whose pen, the 

patriot's blow. 
For that dear old land, that sweet old land, where the 

beautiful rivers flow. 

-jR^y. C. P.JRYAN. 

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THE GAEL 



August, 1903* 




MICHAEL MONAHAN, of Mount 
Vernon, N. Y.. is about to pub- 
lish the first number of "The 
Papyrus/' a new monthly magazine of 
literary character. 



KATHARINE TYNAN, the writer 
of Irish stories, has just com- 
pleted a new novel, and her pub- 
lishers in this country, the J. B. Lip- 
pincott Company, will issue it imme- 
diately under the title, *'Red, Red 
Rose." 



MISS IDA TAYLOR, a kinswoman 
of Smith O'Brien, has completed 
a "Ufe of Lord Edward Fitz- 
gerald," who after an eventful and 
pcturesque career became one of the 
leaders of the Irish revolution of 1798 
and died in prison. The Hutchinsons. 
London, will publish the book. 



MR. FISHER UNWIN announces a 
volume of essays called Brit- 
ish Political Leaders," by Justin 
McCarthy. The various chapters deal 
with thirteen politicians, including Ar- 
thur J. Balfour, the Marquis of Salis- 
bury, Joseph Chamberlain, Lord Rose- 
bery, Henry Labouchere, and Sir Will- 
iam Harcourt. 

Mr. Unwin will also publish a "His- 
tory of Trinity College, Dublin, 1590- 
1660," by Prof. Mahaffy, which will be 
practically an educational and religious 
history of Ireland in that period.. 



MR. ALFRED NUTT has an inter- 
esting letter on Celtic literature 
and the "Celtic spirit" in the 
"Athenaeum." Of George Moore and 
the "Untllled Field," he says: 

"Mr. Moore is an Irishman; he is 
clever enough, did he give his mind to 
it, to write his stories in Irish instead 
of getting them translated. But though 
he did so that would not make tiiem 
manifestations of the 'Celtic spirit'; 
they would still be examples of an art 
morally, intellectually, aesthetically 
alien to, opposed to — I had almost said 
repugnant to— the genius of the Celtic 
race as It manifested Itself In literature 
for over 1,500 years. 

"In Its strength, as in Its weakness, 
Mr. Moore's work Is un-Celtic — for the 
present, at least. I add these words, 
for who can say the Gael must neces- 
sarily develop in the future along the 
old lines? An Irish Balzac may some 
day arise; the 'Celtic spirit' may be 



transformed into a likeness of that of 
France, instead of, as in the past and 
present, differing from it. more vitally 
and essentially than from any other 
expression of man's heart and brain. I 
can only take things as they are. and, 
thus taking them, I assert — and em- 
phatically assert—that the Celtic spirit 
(pr shall we say a Celtic spirit?) is ap- 
parent in the works of several writers 
using the English tongue— apparent in 
a more marked degree, perhaps, than 
in any work at present being written 
in any Celtic tongue." 



FOR the new edition of Miss Edge- 
worth's "Helen," printed by the 
Mac Millans in their series of 
"Illustrated Pocket Classics," MrB. 
Ritchie has written an Introduction. 
In it she quotes this description of the 
author in her later years written by 
Mrs. S. C. Hall: 

"In person she was very email — 
Smaller than Hannah More, and with 
more than Hannah More's vivacity of 
manners; her face was pale and thin, 
her features irregular — they may have 
been considered plain even in youth — 
Dut her expression was so benevolent, 
her manners so entirely well bred, par- 
taking of English dignity and Irish 
frankness, that you never thought of 
her in reference either to plainness 
or beauty — she was all in all; she oc- 
cupied, without fatiguing, the atten- 
tion, charmed by her pleasant voice, 
while the earnestness and truth that 
beamed In her bright blue— very blue 
— eyes made of value every word she 
uttered. Her words were always well 
chosen, her manner of expression was 
graceful and natural, her sentences 
were frequently epigrammatical. 



THE announcement tnat Sir Fred- 
erick Maurice has been working 
steadily to complete his edition 
of the "Diary of Sir John oore," 
which has remained m manuscript 
since Sir John Moore's death, at 
Corunna, and which extends from 
December 5. 1792. to December 24, 1808. 
Just 23 days before his death, will be 
welcome news to students of Irish 
history of the " '98 period." 

Sir John Moore is. prinsipally 
remembered in Ireland by the cele- 
brated poem "The Burial of Sir John 
Moore," written by an Irish Protectant 
clergyman, the Rev. Charles Wolfe, 
the original manuscript of which, on a 



sheet of notepaper, in a letter to a friend 
is now preserved in a glass case among 
the literary treasures of the Royal 
Irish Academy, in Dawson street, 
Dublin. 

It is not generally known, however, 
that Sir John Moore was in command 
of a Division of the British Army in 
Ireland during thes Insurrection of 
1798, was distinguished for his human- 
ity and desire to avoid bloodshed, and 
on more than one occasion counter- 
acted the bloodthirsty ferocity of Lord 
Lake. His diary will, no doubt, be 
found, when published, to abound with 
expressions of condemnation of the 
methods of oarbarism which were 
adopted by the English soldiery to 
"the rebels." 

Sir John Moore, writing in one of 
his published despatches of the County 
of Wicklow, where he had been chiefly 
employed during the Insurrection, 
states his opinion "that moderate 
treatment by the Grenerals, and the 
preventing of the troops from pillaging 
and molesting the people, would soon 
restore tranquillity, and that the peo- 
ple would certainly be quiet if the 
gentry and Yeomanry would only be- 
have with tolerable decency, and not 
seek to gratil^ their ill-humour and 
revenge upon the poor." 

A GAELIC drama, with an English 
version added, entitled "The 
French are on the Sea," has just 
been published by Messrs. M. H. Gill 
& Sons, Dublin. 

It Is written by "Cu Uladh," and 
dedicate^ to "the Gaelic Leaguers of 
Strabane and district, who, in face of 
many difficulties and disabilities, are 
making an earnest effort to realize the 
ideal of an Irish Ireland." It is in Ave 
acts, and deals with the stirring period 
of the United Irishmen, the scene be- 
ing laid in Llfford and its vicinity. 

The play, which should act very 
well, gives an interesting and vivid 
picture of the sort of methods of Eng- 
lish misgovernment and oppression in 
vogue in Ulster at that time, while the 
development of a little love affair 
serves to lend piquancy and an air of 
verisimilitude to the story. 



MR. GEORGE MOORE is now liv- 
ing in England, and Is engaged 
on a series of critical studies of 
literature which will shortly begin 
publication in Lipphieptt's Magusin^ 

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REV. WM. CARRIGAN, C. C. M. R. 
I. A., Durrow. Queen's County, 
has now ready for publication 
"The History and Antiquities of the 
Diocese of Ossory," in four quarto vol- 
umes, with numerous illustrations and 
a carefully-prepared map. 

The learned author has devoted 
every moment of his spare time for 
the ^st twenty yeanr to the compila- 
tion of this great diocesan record. He 
has visited and examined every an- 
cient church and abbey, every grave- 
yard, every holy well, every Mass-sta- 
tion of the penal times, and every an- 
cient castle from the top of Slieve 
Bloom Mountains to the Bridge of 
Waterford, and from the Munster 
River to the River Barrow. 

He has copied every ancient Inscrip- 
tion to be found in the diocese. He 
has taken down the Irish forms of al- 
most all the Ossory church and town- 
land names from the lips of old native 
Irish speakers. He has taken copious 
extracts from the priceless documents 
In the Public Record Office, the Royal 
Irish Academy, and Trinity College, 
Dublin; from the MSS. in the British 
it^useum and the Bodleian Library; 
from the records of the Catholic See 
of Ossory, beginning with the Episco- 
pate of Dr. de Burgo in 1759, and now 
preserved in the 'Diocesan Archives; 
from the Red Book of Ossory, a MS. 
on the fourteenth and fifteenth cen- 
turies; and from many other MS. col- 
lections inaccessible to the general 
public. 

The result of all these extensive and 
laborious researches will be found em- 
bodied 1 nthe forthcoming work which 
wil be published by Messrs. Sealy, Bry- 
ers & Walker, of Middle Abbey Street, 
Dublin. 



Shane CNeifl at Elizabeth's Court. 



New Publications* 

"All OR Ibe Irish Shore." By B. de 
Somerville and Martin Ross. Illus- 
trated. 12mo. Pp. 274. New York: 
Longmans, Green & Co. |1.50. 

"Castle Omeragh." By F. Frankfort 
Moore, author of "A Damsel or 
Two," "A Nest of Linnets," etc. 12 
mo. Cloth, 11.50. D. Appleton & 
Co., New York. 

"Columban. Saint, Monk and Mission- 
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ence Wyatt Bispham. 4vo. Pp. 63. 
New York: Edwin S. Gorham. |L50. 

*'The Dean of St. Patrick's." A Play in 
Four Acts. By Mrs. Hugh Bell. 12 
mo. Pp. V1Í.-95. London: Edward 
Arnold. New York: Longmans, 
Green & Co. |1.00. 

"The Espurgatolre Saint Patriz of 
Marie De France." With a Text of 
the Latin Original. By T. Atkinson 
Jenkins. Printed from Volume VII. 
The Decennial Publications. Folio. 
Pp. 98. Chicago: The University of 
Chicago Press. Paper. 

"A Literary History of Scotland." By 
J. H. Millar. A new volume In the 
Library of Literary History. |4.00 
net. Charles Scrlbner's Sons, New 
York. 



Editor of THE GAEL: 

Dear Sir — I was mul:h interested in 
the article on ''Shane O'Neill," by T. 
O'Neill Russell, in a recent issue of 
THE GAEL, as also in the translation 
of the chieftain's letter to Elizabeth. 
Apart from their historical valuib, I be- 
lieve though, that the impression left 
on the casual reader by their perusal, 
would scarcely be Just to the memory 
of that "Shane the Proud," who strug- 
gling greatly against unequal odds, 
may be regarded as the pioneer of all 
subsequent ; notable movements to 
place Ireland on an independent foot- 
ing. 

Of course the polished phrases of 
the letter may be taken for Just what 
they are worth — even Hugh O'Neill 
himself chose to play courtier for a 
time. As for that visit of Shane to 
the court of Elizabeth — I remember 
reading a version of that episode en- 
tirely at variance with that of the Eng- 
lish historians, and which I like to 
think was the true one. I know that 
once — I believe i was about sixteen — 
moved by it to a white heat of en- 
thusiasm for the splendid, unfortunate 
Shane, I commemorated the incident 
in the accompanying poem, which, if 
It be not too lengthy for insertion in 
THE GAEL, would, I think, be ap- 
preciated by some of your readers. 
ELEANOR R. COX. 

New York. 



SHANE O'NEIL'S VISIT TO THE 
COURT OF ELIZABETH. 

THE courtiers thronged the royal 
hall, 
Wise Cecil, Walslngham and all 
Bold Raleigh; brave Klldare; 
The men who with strong brain and 

hand 
Had ramparted their Queen and land. 
Were round her gathered there. 

He greeted them In accents brief. 
Such as might well beseem a chief 

To thos«% of less degree: 
Then with right royal mien and proud 
Advanced before the Queen, there 
bowed 

With gentlest courtesy. 

Then for a moment all amazed, 
Elizabeth In silence gazed. 

As changed to carven stone. 
Was this the savage chief whose hand 
Had wasted all Eblana's land. 

The Prince of wild Tyrone? 

And much she marvelled at his air 
Of chivalry, his golden hair, 

His robe of silken sheen. 
His forehead broad, his flashing eye 
In which the monarch well did lie, 

His bright and jewelled skein. 

But when the Chieftain silence broke 
The Tudor spirit in her woke. 

Into her eyes there came 
A shadowy gleam, a boding light. 
And all her cheek and forehead white, 

Were tinged with darkling flame. 



"Most royal Lady at thy 'best. 
And my Lord Essex's fair request, 

I, Shane, Prince of Tyrone, 
Have come as bound in honor bright. 
And as a true and courtly knight 

To bow before thy throne; 

"And to thee as an equal tell 
Why I have ever sought to quell 

Within my land thy might. 
And ever followed haughty word 
With haughtier gleam of soldier's 
sword 

In warf&re for our right. 

"Kings were my sires, and chieftains 

brave 
And clansmen strong allegiance gave 

To them for many a day. 
Unworthy were it then in me. 
Their son your soldiers basely see 

Usurp their ancient sway. 

"My chieftains they are faithful too. 
My clansmen they are not a few, 

And though they love me well, 
Yet think you if to England now 
Their Prince should, recreant, choose 
to bow. 

They too their faith would sell? 

"No! for the current of their blood 
Is strong and fresh as mountain flood 

That sweeps unto the sea: 
And I, the Chieftain of their land, 
Must govern with a lavish hand, 

All warlike, fair and free. 

"I too, while God shall give me breath. 
This purpose hold for Life or Death, 

For triumph or defeat. 
To sheath not sword till on the shore 
Of holy Eire's seen no more 

The print of foeman's feet." 

He ceased, and then the Queen with 

eye 
Qulck-brlghtening said, "The Tower is 
nigh. 
The torture and the chain: 
Yet as ye came alone and free. 
Trusting unto our courtesy. 
Free you shall go again." 

"Thanks for that grace," he simply 

said. 
Then bade farewell the royal maid. 

And homeward took his way. 
And after with true heart and hand. 
Fought well he for his native land 
Full many a gallant day. 

—ELEANOR R. COX. 



Very Ordinary» 

LORD RUSSELL of Klllowen (when 
Sir Charles Russell) was once 
examining a witness. The ques- 
tion was about the size of certain hoof- 
prlnts left by a horse in sandy soil. 
"How large were the prints?" asked 
the learned counsel. "Were they as 
large as my hand?" holding up his 
hand for the witness to see. "Oh, no," 
said the witness, honestly, "It was just 
an ordinary hoof." Then Sir Charles 
had to suspend the ^aminatlop while 
everybody ^^^8^®^- --OOCJIp 



272 



THE GAEL. 



Aus:ust, t903. 




King Uriel's Daughter* 



Bf P. J* Coleman. 



WITH plunder of victory laden the ships of the Gael, In 
the track 
Of the sunset, with bondman and maiden from Ork- 
ney to Erin rode back. 
Full rich was the gold and the guerdon they won by the 

war-reddened spear; 
But they bore too, a sorrowful burden King Uriel dead on 
his bier. 

He had charged the stout men round him gathered, the 
while that he lay on his shield, 

"Defend her, mine Elmer, unfathered on yesterday's con- 
quering field! 

An' ye be to her loying and loyal, full glad from the host- 
ing of spears. 

Shall I pass to my place 'mid the royal green graves of my 
warrior peers!" 

With right hands uplifted to heaven, they sealed with strong 

oaths the great pledge; 
While the soul of King Uriel, shriven, took flight to the bar 

of its Judge, 
And with dirges and ritual solemn they heaped o'er his 

ashes the cairn. 
And carved at his head the grey column, and left him alone 

In the fern . 

You've seen the white lily unfolden when April hath 
breathed on the mere. 

And the crown of the crocus is golden — so Elmer grew 
stately and fair. 

As a rose of the Summer doth burgeon to beauty in sun- 
shine and dew, 

In blossom of innocence virgin, the child into womanhood 
grew. 

As lissome and lithe as a sapling that sways in the wind of 
the west — 

Not a youth, nor a strong man nor stripling but had died 
at the damsel's behest. 

Not in all the wide land was a warrior— «o brave in the 
foray or field — 

But had made of his bosom a barrier, the maiden from in- 
sult to shield. 

Now a day full of shame and of sorrow for Uriel's homes 
was at hand, 

When with dawning of bloodshed, the morrow let loose the 
fell foe on the land. 

And over the seas in their galley's^ the Vikings, for ven- 
geance athirst, 

With torch and with sword on the valleys of Erin Impetu- 
ous burst. 



'Twas then there was mounting of horsemen and muster of 

bonnacht and kern. 
As forth 'gainst the plundering Norsemen rode chieftain and 

warrior stern. 
Rock-fast 'mid the tempest of onset, like granite the Gael 

took their stand 
All day till the flushing of sunset, for sweetheart, and altar, 

and land. 

As earth from its bases asunder were rent by an earth- 
quake's strong throes, 

All day o'er the land rolled the thunder and shock of the 
host-hewing foes. 

All day to the blue vault of heaven ascended the sound of 
the flght 

Till at sunset the shield-wall was riven and the Gael from 
their foemen took flight. 

''Look out from your eastern oriel, my guardsmen/' said 
Elmer afar, — 

In the gray castle turrets of Uriel, "and tell me how fareth 
the war." 

"Christ save us! they fly!" said the henchmen; "the North- 
men are hard on their track! 

See, see — God be merciful! — henchmen who never from 
foemen fell back!" 

Up then spoke their princess and lady, and proudly she 

smiled as she spoke; 
"My whitest of raiment make ready; my steeds to the 

chariot yoke! 
They love me, my people; I love them; our altars and 

hearths are at stake. 
I'll go forth to the battle to prove, them; they'll die, ere they 

flle, for my sake." 

Like the wind were her steeds in their fleeting, as forth 

from the castle she rode, 
And met the full tide of retreating, where crimson with 

carnage 'it flowed. 
Then into the maelstrom of danger she plunged, and they 

saw her anon, 
So stately and white, where the stranger, gore-gorged, like 

the tempest came on. 

"'Tls Uriel's daughter!" they shouted, "our lady, our lily 

80 white!" 
And they that were riven and routed paused full In the 

panic of flight; 
And turned In the teeth of the foemen and fortressed her 

car with tbeir dead, 
And locked their ranks round her, for no man might harm 

the least hair of her head. 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



August, J903. 



THE GAEL 



273 




•TIB URIEL'S DAUOHTBR,*' THBY SHOUTED. 



So staunch in their deathless devotion, so true to their trusi, 

as a rock 
Fling:eth back the wild billows of ocean, they flung back 

the Northerns* shock; 
Till shiyered and shattered and sundered they fled unto 

galley and sail, 
While paeon on paeon out-thundered the Jubilant chant of 

the Gael. 

^'Hurrah for King Uriel's daughter! Our lady, our lily so 

white. 
Who stayed the red torrents of slaughter and turned back 

the tide of our flight. 
The crown of our King set upon her, our valiant, our lovely, 

our queen, 
Who washed white her people's dishonor, and rescued our 

valleys of green!" 

So there in her chariot they crowned her with Uriel's 

diadem-helm. 
Her princes and nobles around her, high-queen of their 

beautiful realm. 
And she made them a generous sovereign, supreme in the 

council and field 
Her people with wisdom to govern, her land from dishonor 

to shield. 

And over the weltering water, the ships of the Viking set 

sail 
To tell of the terrible slaughter and publish the deeds of 

the Gael. 
And loud was the wail of the widow and shrill was the 

dirge of the bride, 
Lamenting in sorrow and shadow, for lovers in Erin who 

died. 



('The Wearing of the Greem'O 

óAiCeA'ó Ati UAiCne. 



' AifDif iti^AT) te SeÁJAti O'Se^^-OA, CÁtAi|i-S4LÍióbíii 



I. 
-A|t Ai|tijif póf Á f)Áit) Ati fjeol mA]i x)éAtinAió ottt>u5 x>lÍ5e 
5a feAm^ioj t)o pAp niop mo C|tí-oleÁn j^lAp pox)lA 'niof, 
pelt pÁió)iAi5 pop t)o éoimeAT) 50 coin ti'péAX)pAin 30 T)éo Apíp 

inA|t'cÁ X)tí§e épUAIt) AtlAJAl^ pO 'tUAiÓAIITI, CAlteA-Ó ATI UAICtie 

iViín. 
CApA^ Am tíon tlApep CAnx)i '5up 'épotc 50 5|toí"óe tiom lÁm, 
"ConnupA pAOi 'ca éi|tinn Jpinn" a]\ pé '* no 'm-bíonn "d'a 

CpÁX)," 

Ip í An cíp ip cpÁix>ce í "d'a b-pcACAi^ pAoi nA x)Ám, 

tnÁ cAiteAnn t>Aoíne ■dac a x)-cípe cpoécAn iat) jah ppÁp. 

II. 

mÁ pé An t)eA|t5 péin Áp n-x)At, pAoí ]\é%m nA p AcpAn clAon, 
bei^ cúimne liiAit aj jAomil Ap pAT) a\\ puit -oo rA]<]«Ain5 pé, 
t)A 5-CAicpÁ pomAC All c-peAmpÓ5 "oe-o'lACA'p pÓD nA ]téi-6, 
'S cé pACAlojpi-óe uipce póp pÁppAixi 50 coip "o's cip. 
nuAip coipjpix) ópt)Ú5A"ó bún All peóp An pÁp níop mó'pAn ihuije, 
'SAn 5lAp-^uilleÓ5 'p^ r-pAmpAi^ ^ói* 50 n-x)eAnpAi-o X)'peói5 le 

An c-peAmpÓ5 AnnpAn x)A|t n-"DÓi5 n' peicpAji 50 -oco 'm <:Áibin, 
50 x)'cí pAn puAp le coil An uAin |tA5At"ó XMt^Xe a m-buAnc mo 
''^"" Digitized by V^OOQIC 



274 



THE GAEL, 



August, }903* 




A Qiaracter Sketch of Edward ]. O'Mahony* 



Opeta^ Oratorio and G>nccrt Bano. 



MONO the many gifted sons 
whom Old Ireland has good 
reason to be proud. Edward J. 
O'Mahony holds a foremo 
r.i?4> place. As a basso-singer he 
has no peer, and that he is 
an artist to his flnger-tipn uu one who 
has ever heard him In opera, oratorio, 
or concert will dispute. His person- 
ality, too, is unique in its way, and 
presents the unusual combination of 
strength and sweetness. 

Mr. O'Mahoney is a natiye of *Ck)rk's 
own town', and consequently is one of 
'God's own people.' His ancestry Is- 
pure Irish and among his forebears 
were many distinguished men includ- 
ing his great grand-uncle who was a 
professor of the Irish language and a 
philosopher par excellence. 

From earliest childhood this singer, 
who is known and loved in many 
lands, evinced great talent along musi- 
cal lines. When a child of eight years 
he led the choir of his fellow-pupils 
taught by the Christian Brothers, 
whose apt pupil he was. and in sacred 
song or native melody his voice was 
enjoyed by people who came from far 
and near to listen to 'the wonderful 
boy-singer.' 

Mr. John Fleming of Cork shares 
with the Christian Brothers the labor 
of love involved in his early musical 
training, and often prophesied great 
things for him. 

Edward J. O'Mahoney's first public 
appearance was made when he was 
ten years old. At that time he was the 
possessor of a wonderful and sympathe- 
tic contralto voice, which even then 
created a furor owing to its unusual 
quality. His rendering of the grand 
old melody "When he who adores 
thee" gave marked promise of the 
artistic excellence he has since at- 
tained. It was noticeable that he 
threw his whole soul Into the song. 
He has been doing that ?ame thing 
ever since, and no matter whether he 
sings a pathetic ballad, a rollicking 
drinking-song, patriotic verse, or im- 
passioned love-ditty, he is bound to 
carry his audience with him. simply 
because he makes them feel the true 
meaning of every word. 

At the age of sixteen he earned for 
himself the soubriquet of "The 
Juvenile Lablache." and when he was 
about nineteen he interpreted in mas- 
terly manner the role of Raphael, in 
Haydn's "Creation." and "The Master" 
in Romberg's "Lay of the Bell." His 
musical education at this time was 



conducted by Monsieur Roeckel of the 
Paris Conservatory, who always consi- 
dered him oa^ of his most promising 
pupils. 

In 1878 he went to Italy and studied 
under the celebrated maestro, Antonio 
San Giovanni, at Milan. It was there 
he learned the beautifully exact Italian 
pronunciation which adds so much 
grace to his delivery and is as rare 
as it is delightful. 

His debut in English Opera was 
made in 1880 when he was specially 
engaged by Mr. Carl Rosa to create 
various roles at Her Majesty's Theatre, 
London. His success drew forth the 
most laudatory comments from press 
and public, and resulted in extended 
engagements with the Oarl Rosa 
Opera Company. During this period 
he was associated with bis dearest 
and most intimate friend. Mr. Charles 
Santl^y, and with Madame Minnie 
Hauk, Signor Randeggar. as well «a 
other singers whose names have long 
been household words. 

After achieving many triumphs In 
Europe, and recevdng personal con- 
gratulations from Kings, Queens, and 
the nobility in general, he visited 




EDWARD J. O'MAHONY. 



America, and as usual met with in- 
stantaneous success. While the Amer- 
ican Opera Company was in being, lie 
took the leading basso roles, and made 
'a palpable hit' as Sarastro in "The 
Magic Flute;" Count Rodolfo in La 
Sonnambula;" Pagano in "I Lom- 
bardi," and the King in ' Aida" and 
"Lohengrtn." His work in "Figaro," 
in "Dlnorah" and in "La Contessa 
d'Amalfl" also created a sensation, and 
there was not a single dissentient note 
in the chorus of praise that went up 
from admiring critics who could not 
apparently say enough in favor of hia 
methods and his deep, rich voice. 

His operatic repertoire is extensive, 
embracing as it does thirty seven roles, 
many of which are exceedingly difficult 
and exacting. 

He scintillated for eleven years as 
one of Gilmore's birghtest stars, and 
travelled all over the country with the 
famous bandmaster, winning fresh 
laurels in every state and city in the 
Union. He tells interesting anecdotes 
of these days, and speaks with touch- 
ing aflTection of the lamented Gilmore. 
and of the associates who with him 
sang their way into American hearts. 
Mr. O'Mahoney possesses a striking 
personality and always wins more than 
a second glance. His blue-gray eyes 
are bright and kindly; his broad white 
brow shows intellectuality, and the 
long, drooping moustache and beard 
that hide the lower part of his face 
gives him a somewhat foreign and 
distinguished air. 

His voice is of the real basso-pro- 
fundo type and timbre, but it runs up 
into the baritone register with ease 
and brightness, and is as full, round, 
resonant, and far-reaching as the most 
captious critic could desire. Its com- 
pass is truly wonderful, extending 
from CC into the highest baritone, 
and its sweetness and flexibility is a 
joy to the trained ear. The unusual 
clearness of his enunciation is also 
worthy of note, and taking him alto- 
gether thi« gifted artist is in a class all 
by himself. 

Then, too. the magnetism, without 
which even the best- trained singer is 
half a falurei, is one of the dominant 
characteristics. The moment he faces 
the audience, — the instant he smiles 
in his own unaflTected. whole-souled 
fashion at the unlifted faces before 
him. he has every mother's son and 
every father's daughter in the house 
with him. They hang upon his every 
glance, movemen|[ri^dJtpne. and when 
Digitized by V3VJU 



Ausfust, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



275 



he ceases, a burst of spontaneous ap* 
plause rings out with a good will which 
is nothing short of inspiring. But no 
success, however great, and no 
triumph, however far-reaching, seems 
to have any effect upon Mr. O'Mahony's 
simplicity. One can see, of course, 
that he is gratified because of being 
able to please thoee for whom he 
«higs, but not a shade of self-con- 
eciousness or vanity mars his manner. 
In short, from every standpoint his is 
a charming personality, and one that 
few people are able to resist. 

His love of Ireland amounts to a 
passion. He sings her grand old songa 
as they have never been sung before. 
His voice vibrates with feeling which 
is instantly communicated to the audi- 
ence, and it is no unusual aight to see 
men and women furtively brushing 
away a tear as they listen to the melo- 
dies that were familiar to them in 
.childhood's hour, before fate and for- 
tune sent them adrift from 'the ould 
dart.' But he does not always make 
them sad. His is the power to kindle 
their eyes and make them involuntar- 
ily straighten their shoulders as he 
sings "The Minstrel Boy to the War 
is Gone," and when he gives them 
"The Cruiskeen Laun" their lips part 
in smiles, and sometimes their head, 
hand's, and feet keep time to the flow- 
ing melody. 

Mr. O'Mahony's most cherished 
dream is the revival of the Gaelic 
tongue, and he does his very best to 
give the movement now on foot, a 
sturdy impetus. The annual concert 
with which he delights the music- 
lovers of New York include select 
Gaelic numbers, and his glorious voice 
seems to lend a peculiar fascination 
to the lAnguage of his forelSathers. 
The Irish words as they fall from his 
lips are as soft as a caress, as sweet 
as a mother's lullaby to her flrst-born, 
and as melodious as the lark's greeting 
to morning. Not only does he sing 
Ireland's national airs in Gaelic, but 
he arouses interest and enthusiasm by 
giving "The Star-Spangled Banner,', 
and other chararteristically American 
compositions, in the same tongue. His 
versatility is shown by the manner in 
which he renders an Irish number, 
and for encore gives some classic se- 
lection, suoh as that beautiful aria 
from Verdi's "Sicilian Vespers." "O tu 
Palermo," which if full of patriotism 
that is almost pathetic. It is the 
variety and beauty of the melodies 
heard at these annual concerts that 
help to make them an eagerly-looked 
for feature of metropolitan musical 
life, and it would seem that their pop- 
ularity increases with each succeeding 
year. 

Mr O'Mahony makes a point of visit- 
ing his native city every summer. 
There are dear ones there who look 
forward to his arrival, and as soon 
as he touches Irish soil a happy fam- 
ily re-union takes place with his 
talented wife, the daughter of the late 
Michael E. Shannahan, and his clever 
eon, John Joseph 0'Mahor.y, who la 
as the apple of his eye. and who was 
born in Milan at the time when the 
basso was just beginning to win fame 



as one of the greatest singers of the 
day. Then there is his father, hale 
and hearty despite his advanced years, 
and countless relatives and friends, all 
anxious to be the first to bid him a 
hundred thousand welcomes. 

To conclude this brief sketch without 
making special mention of Mr. 
O'Mahony's skill as an oratorio and 
church singer would be simply im- 
possible His temperament renders 
him admirably suited to this branch of 
musical art, and he has long been 
associated with it. He is particularly 
fond of the Gregorian chant, that most 
ancient and simple form of choral 
music, and he has cretaed a profound 
impression in many New York 
churches by his rendering of it. But 
indeed he makes the same impression 
whether he appears as basso primo 
in opera, in oratorio, in the choir of 
the churches to which music-lovers 
flock to hear him, or on the concert 
stage where he shows all the polish, 
finish, and dignity so necessary to that 
line of work, and one can only repeat 
with greater emphasis that Erin may 
well be proud of her talented son! 
KATHLEEN EILEEN BARRY. 



THE GAEL will be sent to any ad- 
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All subscriptions are payable in ad- 

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Orders should be made payable to 

THE GAEL, 140 Nassau Street, New 

York. 



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SOUTH AFRICA. 
H. Bullen, Port Bliiabeth, Cape Col- 
ony. 



Irish Love Song« 

By L. O'Shea. 

I MIND the day we parted by th» 
lough, 
The curlews whistled low and 
sweet. 
The laughiu' waters runnin' to the 
shore 
Broke ripplin' where the alders meet 

List, lad. list! Can ye hear them 
callin', 
The laughing waters in the windin^ ' 
glen? 
Here, love, here, the sliver rain la 
fallin'. 
The curlew whistles oft as then. 

I mind the day we wandered to the 
Head— 
The sea lay dlmplin' 'neath a sap* 
phire sky — 
An' looked away, away, toward the 
west, 
Wherein St Brendan's holy islands 
lie. 

List, love, list! Can ye hear them 
wailin'. 
The sea-gulls flyln' o'er the tossin' 
foam? 
Here, lad, here, I watch the boats 
a-saiUn', 
And fondly dream of thee comin*^ 
home. 

I heed the time we climbed the brae- 
side. 
The Fairy Thorn was white as 
snow — 
Do ye mind the kiss ye stole then? — 
While harebells softly chimed all 
low. 

Hark, dear, hark! Do ye hear them 
singin'. 
The golden-throated Summer 
thrushes? 
Here, love, here, all aroun' me spring- 
in'. 
The green an' slender mountain 
rushes. 

An' now I spin me weary wheel aroun'. 
An' ever mind the day that's yet to 
be. 
While winds o' night go whisperin' 
down the glen 
To guide the ship that brings you 
home to me. 

Shine, stars, shine! The time is by 
for sadness. 
My heart is waltin' for the dawnin*. 
Rise, sun, rise, an' flood the world 
with gladness. 
My love is comin' in the mornln'. 



FOR many years the Dublin. Wick- 
& Wexford Railway Company 
have been battling against the in- 
roads of the sea on the portion of their 
line between Bray Head and New- 
castle, Co. Wicklow. On several occa- 
sions a section of the railway has been 
swept away. The company has now 
decided to divert the line further in- 
land, and Parliamentary powers are to 
be asked for that purpose. 



276 



THE GAEL, 



August. J903. 




Proposed School of Irish Studies* 

Another Inicttsting Lecture bf Dr* Kuno Meyer* 



ON Tuesday, June 23rd, in the Aula 
Maxima of University College. 
St. Stephen's green, Dr. Kuno 
Meyer delivered another^ lecture elab- 
orating his scheme for the establish- 
ment of a School of Irish Studies, 
which formed the subject 'of an ad- 
dress delivered by him on May 14th 
in connection with the Oireachtas. 

The Very Rev. William Delaney, 
S.J., LL.D., who presided, in intro- 
ducing Dr. Kuno Meyer, said Dr. 
Meyer now came before them to out- 
line more fully the work of which he 
laid the foundation in his lecture in 
connection with the Oireachtas, and to 
call on those present and on the public 
at large to take up this work, which 
lie verily believed would, if taken in 
the spirit in which they hoped it would 
be, very rapidly place the Irish lan- 
guage in the possession of the people, 
and at the same time one holding first 
place amongst the great learned lan- 
guages of Europe (applause). 

Dr. Kuno Meyer, who was warmly 
applauded, in the course of his lecture, 
said: The widespread sympathy and 
approval with which the plea he had 
advanced recently for the establish- 
ment of an independent and perma- 
nent school of Irish learning and re- 
search in Dublin had been received 
liad induced some enthusiastic ladies 
and gentlemen to provide the neces- 
sary funds for making a small but Im- 
portant beginning. The authorities of 
University College had promptly sup- 
plied the room which had been asked, 
the best available teacher had been 
secured, and they were thus in the 
fortunate position of being able to 
commence immediately a summer 
school of Irish studies (applause). 

He had been asked to deliver the 
inaugural address for the purpose of 
explaining in detail what the objects 
of such a school should be. and ap- 
pealing to all who had the revival of 
Irish studies at heart to enter ener- 
getically into the work, and give It 
their best support. The undertaking 
wa« so important that every one who 
was Interested in it should freely ex- 
press his opinion, and so give bis best 
advice as to the most practical way of 
accomnlishing the object they had in 
Tiew. He had read attentively the let- 



tens that had appeared on the subject, 
and he desired to thank the Dublin 
Press for the support it had given his 
scheme, particularly the letters from 
Father Peter G'Leary. 

Before referring to the wider scheme 
which they had before them, he wished 
briefly to explain what they proposed 
to do in the school that would be 
opened next month. In hits opinion, 
in which he was supported by all 
serious students of Irish literature and 
history, there was nothing more im- 
portant and necessary for the advance 
of Irish native scholarship than a thor- 
ough acquaintance with the older 
stages of the Irish language. That- 
had been so often insisted on that 
there was no necessity to dwell upon 
it. Without it, no genuine progress 
could be made in the study of Irish 
literature, Irish history, or Irish arch- 
aeology, nor was it possible to pos- 
sess a scholarly knowledge of the 
modern language. Their first object, 
therefore, should be to provide in- 
struction in old and middle Irish, or in 
the language in which the large mass 
of Irish literature, poetry, and ro- 
mance as well as their historical, legal 
and ecclesiastical documents, were 
written. 

They were fortunate beyond hope 
and expectation in securing an ac- 
quaintance with the older forms of the 
language, and in having been able to 
obtain the services of the foremost 
scholar and authority on the subject, 
who, along with Dr. Whitley Stokes, 
occupied the same position in this 
country that WIndisch, Zimmer, and 
Thuraysen did in Germany— Dr. J. 
Strachan, professor of Greek at Owens 
College, Manchester. 

Of all living Irish scholars, no one 
had made the subject of old Irish 
grammar his own as Professor 
Strachan. His Investigations into the 
history of the language had introduced 
a new method of research and marked 
an epoch in the history of Irish schol- 
arship. By tracing the most charac- 
teristic forms of the older language 
throughout the centuries to their final 
disappearance, he had for the first 
time enabled them to date with some- 
thing like approximate accuracy hun- 
dreds of ancient poems and prose texts 



which it had hitherto been impossible 
to assign to a definite period. 

He had also made himself a thor- 
ough master of the difficult science of 
etymology, and the number of Irish 
words which he had for the first time 
connected with their congeners in dif- 
ferent Aryan languages, and traced to 
their oldest form, was very large. In 
conjunction with Dr. Stokes, he had 
also undertaken an addition to all 
Irish prose and poetry found In MSS. 
previous to 1000 A. D. — a monumental 
work which would for long continue 
to remain the text book for all who 
desire to study the older language at 
the source — the Thesaurus Paleohi- 
bernicus. 

The study of modern phases of the 
language had also engaged the care- 
ful study of Dr. Strachan. Though, 
like some of them who had approached 
the study of Irish from the origin, he 
was not able to speak modem Gaelic 
fluently, he was fully alive to its im- 
portance, to its organic relationship 
with the older language, to the place 
which it must hold in any curriculum 
of Irish study. He had read its litera- 
ture, and was familiar with its various 
dialects, and to him they owed the 
preservation of a most interesting 
specimen of Gaelic literature, a pretty 
Manx love song, which he took down 
from the lips of a Barra fisherman, 
near Port Erin, and published with a 
translation In the first volume of the 
Celtic Zeitschrift. 

Dr. Strachan was coming among 
them to devote part of his vacation to 
the great cause which he, in common 
with the promoters of that school, had 
at heart. He (the speaker) hoped that 
all who desired to learn the language 
would realize that they had now a 
golden opportunity of doing so under 
a great master. They had also to real- 
ize that the study implied hard work, 
and that a difficult language could not 
be learnt without daily application. 
To guide and direct them in their 
studies. Dr. Strachan had chosen the 
only proper and scientific method of 
instruction. Classes would be held 
each evening for two consecutive 
hours, and the time would be divided 
between grammar ai\^ the Interpreta- 
tion of texts., so|that\ihiB students 
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277 



would know how to apply at once the 
knowledge gained. 

Dealing with the question of the 
establishment of a permanent school 
for the study of Irish, he said he 
hoped that it would be taken up en- 
thusiastically by the Gaelic League, 
but at the same time he wished them 
to understand it was not his idea that 
the working of the scheme should be 
left entirely in the hands of the 
League, as he considered the scheme 
had too many aspects for the League 
to deal with. 

The inteiests concerned in the es- 
tablishment of an Irish school were 
wider than the interests of the Gaelic 
League; they were not only national, 
but, like all science and scholarship, 
international. The fact was generally 
becoming recognized throughout the 
learned world that the time had come 
when Celtic students take their place 
side by side with classical and modern 
languages. Britain, as usual, was be- 
hind the other nations, but in the Uni- 
yersity of Liverpool the creation of a 
Chair of Celtic was now only a ques- 
tion of time; and in London. Cam- 
bridge and Glasgow also the estab- 
lishment of Celtic Lectureships was on 
the programme. 

One naturally looked to Ireland, and 
in Ireland to Dublin, for a similar 
course to be adopted. The necessity of 
having a supply of candidates for 
chairs and lectureships that were sure 
to be created, both in Ireland and 
Great Britain, would soon be felt It 
was not enough in order to be equipped 
for such posts that they should know 
one Celtic language only, and that in 
its modern stage, but their studies 
should embrace all Celtic languages, 
and comparative , philology as well 
(hear. hear). 

As all those subjects came inside the 
scope of such a school as was pro- 
posed (though some of them might 
probably not be provided for all at 
once), it would be seen that the Gaelic 
League, in order to carry out the 
scheme in its entirety, must co-operate 
with the different institutions and 
bodies, which had those varied inter- 
ests at heart, such as the Royal Irish 
Academy, the National Mu-seum, the 
Archaeological Societies and the prom- 
inent men and women who represent 
Celtic scholarship in all its branches. 
He suggested a small committee, con- 
sisting of three or five representative 
individuals resident in Dublin, to- 
gether with a sub-committee of the 
Coisde Gnotha of the Gaelic League, 
to bring about the desired organiza- 
tion. 

As regarded the school itself, no 
elaborate arrangements, regulations or 
stipulations should be needed, and 
there was no reason why such a school, 
though aiming at the highest scholar- 
ship, should not be popular in its char- 
acter. After all. the task of such a 
committee would not be very heavy or 
complicated, but, on the contrary, com- 
paratively simple. There was. first of 
all. Instruction to be provided in vari- 
ous branches of learning, and when 
one had the right men the thing was 
already half done (hear, hear). Some, 



like Prof. Strachan, could only come 
for a summer school, others could come 
for occasional lectures throughout the 
year, while men resident in and around 
Dublin would see that the work was 
carried on during the winter session. 

The subjects taught should embrace 
in the first place old. middle and mod- 
ern Irish, both language and litera- 
ture, grammar as well as reading, «criti- 
cal Interpretation of texts, paleographi- 
cal lectures, 1. e., learning to read and 
classify and catalogue Irish MSS., and 
in addition classes for the study of his- 
tory and archaeology. The teaching, 
to be thoroughly effective, should be 
carried on, not so much In set courses 
of lectures as in practical classes, and 
should be done as much as possible by 
direct contact of master and pupil, and 
from the sources and materials them- 
selves (hear, hear). 

The question of funds naturally pre- 
sented itself, and the public, whose as- 
sistance they invited, would be desirous 
to know what sum would be required 
to establish and mantain such a school 
as he had sketched. A beginning, and 
no -despicable beginning, could, he be- 
lieved, be made with comparatively 
little money, but if the scheme was to 
be carried out in its fulness, and a per- 
manent school, well equipped and en- 
dowed, and maintained, was to be es- 
tablished, a capital sum of £10.000 to 
£12,000 would be required. The interest 
of such a sum would be sufficient to 
defray all costs in connection with the 
school. 

Though through the kindness of Dr. 
Delaney, S.J., the summer school had 
been housed, the permanent school 
must have a home and habitation of its 
own. and an ordinary house, with one 
large and several smaller rooms would 
suit the purpose In every way. He did 
not despair of getting the necessary 
sum, if not at once, at least In in- 
stallments, and he had been encour- 
aged in that hope by the fact that be- 
fore any public appeal had been made 
many offers of subscriptions had been 
made. 

A well-furnished library was also an 
essential item of the scheme, and 
should include all the handbooks, edi- 
tions and periodicals bearing on the 
studies. Many of those works were 
expensive and difficult to obtain, but 
without them the work of the school 
could not be carried on successfully. 
An excellent opportunity was afforded 
for some of their well-to-do citizens 
assisting them in providing such a 
library, and he was happy to be able 
to state that he had already received 
several generous gifts in aid of it 

There should also be scholarships to 
enable students who might not have 
the necessary means to attend the 
school, and more particularly to en- 
able native speakers from all parts of 
the country to live in Dublin and studj 
at the school for a session or two. It 
gave him great pleasure to announce 
thai Mrs. J. R. Green the widow of 
the historian, had promised to estab- 
lish several such scholarships. If the 
school were established, and he hoped 
the public would generously contribute 
towards the same purpose (applause). 



It would also be necessary to have a 
periodical in connection with the 
school, devoted exclusively to Irish 
learning and research. It would be 
none too soon to start such a publica- 
tion to-morrow, and there would be 
no lack either of contributors or sub- 
scribers. It surely was an anomaly 
that Irish literature such as the Life 
of Colum Cille. of the Midnight 
Court, or a glossary to Donlevy'g 
Catechism should be published in Ger- 
many, and not in Ireland. Indeed, 
from the outset this should be one 
of the primary objects of the school, 
to train in it the future editors and 
translators and commentators of Irish 
literature (applause). If the young 
generation of Irishmen was not trained 
for this important task, the whole of 
the ancient literature of Ireland would 
within the next fifty years be edited by 
Germans, Frenchmen, Scandinavians 
and Englishmen. 

Lastly, in a school such as was con- 
templated no earnest worker should be 
excluded, and provision should be 
made for all the various needs and 
grades of Irish students, native Irish 
speakers, those who had acquired 
modern Irish from books or orally, 
students of literature, history or arch- 
aeology, classical or modern language 
students, desirous of becoming ac- 
quainted for literary or philological 
purposes, all should find in the school 
what they wahted. The contact and in- 
tercourse of such varied classes of stu- 
dents alone would be of mutual benefit 
of no small importance. They would 
learn as much in this way from one an- 
other as from their teachers and, to 
mention only one point, everyone who 
had studied the older languages, under- 
stood how important it was to have a 
good knowledge of the modern idioms, 
and whoever knew the modern lan- 
guages only was constantly obliged to 
fall back upon the older language for 
derivation and original meaning of 
words and phrases. 

The outline which he had given rep- 
resented his conception of a well- 
equipped school for the study of Celtic 
languages, the motto of which should 
be an increase of scholarship, an ad- 
vance in knowledge and learning for 
the benefit of mankind and the glory of 
God (loud applause). 

Dr. Douglas Hyde said he heartily 
agreed with the opinion expressed by 
Professor Meyer in his exceedingly 
able lecture. If Dublin was ever 
again to become the center of Irish 
studies, which was absolutely neces- 
sary to the making of an Irish Ireland, 
the only possible way would be to 
train up the people In Dublin to take 
their place among the learned men of 
Europe. After Father Hogan, there 
was no Irish scholar of the first rank 
who was either qualified or willing to 
distribute his knowledge among stu- 
dents. In obtaining the services of 
Dr. Strachan, Prof. Kuno Meyer had 
placed them under a deep debt of grat- 
itude, as there was possibly no man 
after the distinguished Irish scholar 
whom he had mentioned who was able 
to stand upon t^e same plane with 
him in the s(udy^r-^i-wai|AMit Irish 
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278 



THE GAEU 



Aogfust, 1903. 



^ammar. And without a knowledge 
of that important subject they could 
not have a knowledge of ancient, mid- 
die or modern Irish literature (ap- 
plause). 

Dr. Cox, Dr. P. W. Joyce, Very Rev. 
Father Hogan, S.J.; Mr. John McNeill 
and Mr. T. W. Rolleston having ex- 
pressed their approval of the ideas ex- 
pressed by Dr. Kuno Meyer. 

Dr. Delaney conveyed the thanks of 
the meeting, and said he deplored the 
tendency of modern times to make 
universities merely channels in which 
students were trained to pass examina- 
tions, without any regard to the knowl- 
edge or actual instruction communi- 
cated. It was the ruin of all true edu- 
cation and of all true knowledge (ap- 
plause). The competitive system was 
the great evil of education at the pres- 
ent day, and as long as they had any 
competitive system in which the teach- 
ing energy of colleges was expended 
in trying to secure the greatest num- 
ber of honors and exhibitions that 
meant always running in grooves and 
within limits. It was simply the in- 
terest of the teacher to do only what 
would pay and get his pupils through. 
He hoped that the new school for Irish 
studies would not be satisfied merely 
with examination tests, and that the 
response from the country would en- 
able those interested in the work to 
bring it to a successful completion 
(applause) . 

Dr. Kuno Meyer, having expressed 
his acknowledgements, the meeting 
concluded. 



Irish 



Industries — ^Important 
Prosecution* 



ME3SSRS. ISAAC WALTON & CO., 
tailors and outfitters, of Lud- 
gate Hill, pleaded guilty at the 
London Mansion House Police Court 
to-day to three summonses under the 
Merchandise Marks Act, which charged 
them with having unlawfully applied a 
certain false trade description, viz., 
"White Shirts— Irish Linen," to goods 
made of union and cotton, also for 
selling and having in their possession 
for sale goods to which a false trade 
description was applied. 

Mr. Moseley, representing the Bel- 
fast Flax Spinners' Association, said 
that the Association was formed in 
Belfast for the purpose of protecting 
Irish linen industries, and for prevent- 
ing goods being sold either dishonestly 
or negligently to the public as Irish 
linen which were not In fact linen. 
The sale of such good^ Inflicted harm 
on the manufacturer and the grower 
of flax, and the object of these pro- 
ceedings was to stop any infringe- 
ment of the Act. The shirts, the sub- 
ject of the charge, contained scarcely 
a particle of linen. 

Mr. Walters, on behalf of the com- 
pany, said that there had not been the 
slightest intention on their part either 
to mislead or deceive the public In re- 
spect of the sale of the goods In ques- 
tion. The whole matter rose out of a 
mistake of a local manager. The com- 



pany was a highly respectable firm, 
having branches all over London and 
the provinces. 

Mr. Aid. Smallman imposed a fine of 
£5, with ten guineas costs, on the first 
summons, and £5 on each of the other 
summonses. 

In a second case, Mr. George Lewis, 
of 36 B King William street, pleaded 
guilty to three summonses for similar 
ofTenses in respect of collars, de- 
scribed as Irish linen, but made of 
linen and cotton. 

Mr. Muir, barrister, urged on behalf 
of the defendant that he had been in 
business a number of yeans In the city. 
There was no suggestion that there 
had been any intent to deceive the pub- 
lic. No doubt a mistake had been 
made in the description applied to the 
collars. There was a time, said coun- 
sel, when probably more linen was 
used in the manufacture of collars sold 
at 6^d., but now that collars had be- 
come something between a breast plate 
and a straight waistcoat, it was impos- 
sible to buy the quantity of linen re- 
quired to make them for the money. 
Still the public demanded the 6^d. col- 
lar. It was impossible to buy a linen 
collar in London at the present day. 

Mr. Moseley. — Give us an order, and 
we will soon execute it (laughter). 

The Alderman imposed fines and 
costs, as in the preceding case, amount- 
ing to £16. 



An Unfortunate GaeL 

COLUM WALLACE was born on 
Gk)rtumna Island 107 years ago. 
He is now an inmate of Ough- 
terard Workhouse. He is a good Gaelic 
scholar and the author of a number 
of poems, some of which, notably 
"Cuairt an tSrothain Bhuidhe," have 
had a reputation all over Connacht. 
Even in his advanced years he has all 
his faculties unimpaired, and keenly 
feels his position. 

The editor of ''An Claidheamh 
Soluis" has started a fund for the pur- 
pose of removing the old man from the 
poorhouse and sending him back to his 
native island, where it is his wish to 
die. The amount collected so far is 
about £15-0-0. We understand that the 
Central Branch of the Gaelic League, 
Dublin, is about to organize a great 
Aeridheacht in aid of the fund. 



The Irish in England* 

THE number of Irish in England is 
much larger than is generally 
supposed. Of the 35.000,000 per- 
sons enumerated in England and 
Wales, 426,565 were born in Ireland, 
this number being made up of 224,967 
males and 201,598 females. London 
clamed 27,374 of these Irish-born 
males, and 32,837 of the females. 

The English county having the larg- 
est number of Irish -born persons in 
its population is Lancashire, which, at 
the time of the last census was taken, 
had a total of 145,301 within its bor- 
ders. Of the other English counties 
Yorkshire follows Lancashire, with an 



Irish-born contribution to its popula- 
tion of 39,145. 

There are 22,496 persons of Irish 
birth in Durham, 18,268 in Cheshire, 
and 9,613 in Northumberland. The 
Counties of Surrey, Kent, Sussex and 
Hampshire have between them 35,961 
Irish. There is no English or Welsh 
county without some native-born Irish 
residents, the lowest figures being 
reached in Rutlandshire, with 99. 

It is curious to note how strongly the 
females of Irish birth in London and 
some of the surrounding districts out- 
number the males. Taking the whole 
of Surrey and Sussex, together with 
London itself, there are 39,546 femalee 
of Irish birth to 32.455 males. 



Industrial League* 

THE Irish Industrial League main- 
tains a headquarters at 57 
Dame street, Dublin. At a re- 
cent meeting the Secretary was In- 
structed to write to several firms who 
have been detected selling foreign- 
made articles as Irish. 

The League adopts a very fair 
method to those who are discovered 
carrying on this unfair work. Shops 
are visited from time to time, and to 
those who are detected selling or sub- 
stituting foreign-made goods for Irish 
letters are written and a caution given. 
Very soon the League will institute 
legal proceedings under the Merchan- 
dise Act A Vigilance Committee will 
be formed at next meeting, whose 
business will be to watch the interest 
of Irish manufacture and protect it 
against fraud. 



THE newspaper stories about the 
marriage of Sir William Mac- 
gregor, who has become known 
by the upenviable title of "the Pauper 
Baronet," have brought other needy 
titled persons into notoriety. For in- 
stance, in Ireland there Is Sir Thomas 
O'Connor Moore, who is the eleventh 
holder of a baronetcy created In 1861, 
who lives in -a very humble way in 
Cork, where he keeps a small shop for 
the sale of coal in a working-class 
neighborhood. 

Another Irish baronet who has had 
to be content with a comparatively 
lowly position is Sir Thomas Echlin, 
the seventh baronet, who was for many 
years a constable in the Royal Irish 
Constabulary, and afterwards attained 
the rank of sergeant Tet another 
baronet is Sir Charles Algernon Coote 
(not Sir Algernon Charles Coote, the 
premier baronet of Ireland), who Is in 
a really destitute condition, and is (or 
was till very recently) an inmate of 
the North Dublin Workhouse. Many 
other instances might be given. 




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Auguit, Í903, 



THE GAEL. 



. 279 



Corner* 




**A little nonsense now and then 
is relished by the wisest men/' 



SHE — "If It were necessary, and I 
were your wife, would you go 
through Are and water for me?" 
He— *'Do you think it would be neces- 
sary?" 

She— "It might be." 
He— "Then I think you had better go 
and marry a fireman. Good-bye." 



that laws are framed in Ehigland for 
the specific purpose of driving our 
people out of Ireland, but there were 
some thousands of your countrymen 
who wanted to get out of Ireland on 
the day of the Battle of the Yellow 
Ford. They lost their fight and they're 
lying there yet, and have never been 
able to get out of Ireland since." 



^^T^AMB is guilty of many injus- 
W^ <^ices," remarked Mr. T. St. 
John GafPney. "We are con- 
stantly talking about the electric light 
and the telephone, while the geniuses 
who discovered the corkscrew and the 
lemon squeezer sleep unrewarded and 
unglorifled." 



U 



WHAT'S the difference between 
a bishop and a monsignor?" 
a friend asked of Archbishop 
Ryan recently. 

"Well," answered the distinguished 
Philadelphia prelate, after a moment's 
reflection, "a monsignor is a sort of 
counterfeit bishop. The genuine bishop 
you may know by the ring." — New 
York Express. 



AN Edinburgh paper tells of a 
farmer who made his first ac- 
quaintance with London the 
other day, and was asked on his re- 
turn how he had enjoyed his visit. 

"Man, 1 liket fine," he replied; "but 
I couldna sleep, the licht was burnin' 
a' nicht." 

"Could ye no' blaw't oot?" his friend 
inquired. 

"No, man! ye canna do that noo; 
they keep it in wee glass bottles!" 



A FARMER'S son in the village of 
Fethard conceived a desire to 
shine as a member of the legal 
profession, and undertook a clerkship 
in the office of the village pettifogger 
at nothing a week. At the end of the 
first day's study the young man re- 
turned home. 

"Well, Peter, how do you like the 
law?" was the first paternal inquiry. 

"'Taint what it's cracked up to be," 
replied Peter. "Sorry I learnt it." 



HE was a hot-tempered man, and a 
a member of the Cork Corpora- 
tion, and it happened that a 
quantity of rubbish had been accumu- 
lated in front of his house. He remon- 
strated with a laborer employed in 
making repairs in the street, and the 
following dialogue ensued: 

Councillor— "What the d— 1 made 
you put that opposite my door?" 

Laborer — "And sure it should be put 
somewhere until the street is mended, 
yer honor." 

Councillor (in a rage) — "Well, take 
it to h— 1 out of that." 

Laborer — "Shure, I'll carry it to 
heaven; it might be more out of yer 
honor's way. 



^^^T^HERE never was an Irishman," 

** I said an insolent Cockney to a 

worthy son of Erin whom he 

r was visiting at Cork during the Ex- 
position last year, "who did not want 

I to get out of Ireland." 

' "I'll not gainsay that," replied the 

Irishman, "as it is generally conceded 



THBRB'8 NOTHING IN IT. 

MR. CURRAN was addressing a 
jury at one of the state trials 
in 1803 with his usual anima- 
tion. The judge, whose political bias, 
If any judge can have one, was cer- 
tainly supposed not to be favorable to 



the prisoner, shook his head in doubt 
or denial of one of the advocate's ar- 
guments. 

"I see, gentlemen," said Mr. Curran, 
"I see the motion of his lordship's 
head; common observers might im- 
agine that implied a difference of opin- 
ion, but they would be mistaken; it is 
merely accidental. Believe me, gentle- 
men, if you remain here many days 
you will yourselves perceive that when 
his lordship shakes his head there's 
nothing in it!" 



A MATTKK OP SPELLING. 

JUSTICE MORGAN J. O'BRIEN, 
while on his way to his seat at 
the dinner given by the Society of 
the Friendly Sons of St Patrick, spied 
among the guests "Abe" Gruber. He 
looked at the little Hebrew lawyer for 
a second and then said, with evident 
amazement: 

"Why, *Abe,' what are you doing 
here? This is a gathering of Irishmen, 
sons of Erin." 

"So am I," said Gruber. "I am a 
son of Erin, only our people spell it 
difierently — A-a-r-o-n." — New York 
Times. 



NOT THAT KIND OP LIGHT. 

AFIRE in a Bowery clothing store 
excited some discussion on the 
subject of its origin. Mr. Abra- 
hams, one of the partners, thought it 
occurred from the electric incandes- 
cent lamps. Mr. Moses, the other part- 
ner, blamed the arc light, and possible 
sparks therefrom. The fire inspector 
next interviewed Pat Murphy, the por- 
ter of the establishment. "Now, Pat,' 
said he, "what caused the fire? Mr. 
Abrahams thinks it was the incandes* 
cent lights, and Mr. Moses says it was 
the arc lights — what do you think?" 

"Faith," replied Patrick reflectively, 
"I'm Inclined to think it must have 
been the Israelites!" 



A POLITICAL HURRAH AT A PUNBRAL. 

ASCENDING the mountain road be- 
tween Dublin and Glencullen, in 
company with an English friend, 
O'Connell was met by a funeral. The 
mourners soon recognized him, and 
immediately broke into a vociferous 
hurrah for their political favorite much 
to the astonishment of the Sassenach, 
who, according to the solemn decorum 
of English funerals, was not prepared 
for the outburst of Celtic enthusiasm 
upon such an occasion. A remark being 
made on the oddity of a political hur- 
rah at a funeral, it was replied that 
the corpse doubtless would have cheer- 
ed lustily, too, if it could. 



- A VILB 8LANDBR. 

SOME of the Scots worthies will sigh 
no sigh on hearing of the death 
of the witty Frenchman, Max 
O'Rell. It is reported that a Highland 
waiter once refused to serve the 
Frenchman at dinner, and when re- 
proved explained: 

"It's no' to be expected that a self- 
respecting Scotsman could serve him 
with ceeveelity. Didn't he say we took 
to the kilt because our feet were too 
large to get through trousers^"— St 
James Gazette. i^^ r^r^r-^ir:^ 
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IN a report issued recently from thp 
Irish Agricultural Office, statistics 
of acres and crops for last year are 
given, which show that 320 tons of 
honey were produced, and nearly three 
tons of wax manufactured in Ireland. 
The number of swarms from which 
this result was achieved was 28,533. In 
1888 the year's product was 210 tons 
of which the value was about £12.000; 
so that last year the bee brought to 
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thing like £18,000. 

In some introductory remarks on the 
Irish agricultural statistics as a whole. 
It appears that, comparing the extents 
under the chief cereal crops in 1902 
with those for 1901, there was an in- 
crease of 1,310 acres, or 3.1 per cent, 
in wheat, a decrease of 17,191 acres, or 
1.6 per cent, in oats; an increase of 
6,254 acres, or 3.9 per cent. 



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A Typical M. R 

MR. DENIS KILBRIDE, the new 
Member for South Kildare, first 
entered the House of Commons 
oa the arm of the renowned Mr. Jos- 
eph Biggar, who introduced him early 
in the session of 1888. He returned to 
the House in the Parliaments of 1892 
and 1895, and the omission to return 
him at the general election of 1900 
seems to have been due to some polit- 
ical oversight. 

In Ireland, where platform oratory 
flourishes, Mr. Kilbride is reputed to 
be one of the best of platform speak- 
ers. Mr. Kilbride held a farm rented 
at over £700 a year on Lord Lands- 
downe's Queen's County estate at the 
time of his eviction as a Plan of Cam- 
paign leader in 1887. When the police 
stormed his handsome and well-ap- 
pointed residence they found one room 
so well barricaded that an entrance 
had to be effected through the roof. 

The storming party expected a des- 
perate resistance, but when they ulti- 
mately entered the barricaded room 
they found Mr. Kilbride and a couple 
of friends smoking their pipes! 



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" 'Books of the Month " for 1903: 
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Mav -" The Normans in Ireland." By J. M. Denvir. 
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MISS EDNA WALLACE HOPPER 
In **The Silver Slipper" 

MISS ANNA HELD 
in **The Littie Ducheaa** 

MRS. LESLIE CARTER 
in *'Du Barry** 

MISS BLANCHE WALSH 
in ** Resurrection" 



MISS LILLIAN RUSSELL 
as **The Marquise** 

MISS MABELLE OILMAN 
in **The Mocking Bird** 

MISS JULIA MARLOWE 
in ** Queen Fiammetta** 



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in **Micejiad Men** 

MISS CECELIA LOFTUS 
as ** Ophelia** 

MISS IRENE BENTLEY 
in "The Qiri from Dixey** 

MISS HENRIETTA CROSMAN 
in "The Sword of the King»* 

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The Fairy Hare of Danganmore* 




INNY MAKER Is regard- 
ed as the most "knowl- 
edgable" man in Moon- 
theen, and Moontheen 
as every one knows, 
carries the brains for 
the parish of Dangan- 
more. Indeed, it may 
be called the capital of 
Danganmore, for it contains the forge 
and two huxteries, a flour mill and th-; 
residence of the '*docthor," not to men- 
tion at least half a dozen more pre- 
tentious buildings. 

Dinny Maher owns the largest of the 
'*huxteries" and farms four acres of 
the brown mountain-side of Carrick- 
mourne, a mile and a half away and in 
his leisure time, which is three days 
in the week, in nine months of the 
year, flshes for trout, courses hares, 
breaks every "game law" on the 
statute book, reads the newspapers and 
poses by general consent as the guide, 
philosopher and friend of every man, 
woman and child in Danganmore. 



By G. Mortosfh Griffith, 

In all the five and thirty years of his 
life it is said he has never once been 
"dumfoundhered," though during that 
time problems, many and perplexing, 
must have come before him for solu- 
tion. 

It was therefore with a feeling akin 
to awe that the parish heard that 
Dinny had at last met his Waterloo. 
And they came to hear him tell the 
story — down from Mong and Ruppa, 
and away from Ballyroe and Dicert 
and Grennan, till every night for many 
weeks the little cottage fronting the 
big, dep, silent Nore and redolent of 
honest, homely turf smoke, hfld an au- 
dience unmindful of everything but the 
little man in the chimney corner and 
the weird story he had to tell. 

But it was the night of the occur- 
rence that Dinny told the tale at his 
best — when the scene was fresh upon 
him in all its vividness, and Shaun 
Kelly, who had participated In it, sat 
before him. There was a select au- 
dience too. Gauth, his wife, large 



good-humored and sceptical; Dick 
Gaul of Poulhuv; Petho Whelan of 
Goolgrain; Shaun Gonnor and Paudh 
Fleming, and the humble narrator of 
Gloghabrody. 

It was a winter's eveniifg, and the 
smouldering turf, though sending out 
pleasant heat, scarce relieved the room 
from utter darkness. One by one we 
had dropped in and sitting in a circle 
round the fire, whlled away the time 
with the chit-chat of the parish. The 
master of the house alone was 
mute. 

"Musha, what ails you, Dinny, 
achorra," said Dick Gaul, after ad- 
dressing Dinny on three separate occa- 
sions without receiving a reply. "Are 
ye deaf that you didn't hear me spakln' 
to you? Sittin' there like a sulky 
grannogue is not the way with you." 

This time Dinny condescended to re- 
ply. "I seen quare sights to-day, Rich 
Gaul," he said. "I seen a thing to-day 
that would turn the eyes in yer heau. 
let alone putt in' JOB^ansheLPlL yw 
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322 



THE GAEU 



October, 1903. 



tongue," and Dinny again became stol- 
idly silent. 

"Arrah, what wafi it man?" asked 
Petho Whelan. 

"Shaun there he see it, too; he'll tell 
It," said Dlnny. indicaUng Shaun Kelly 
with a nod of his head ahd spj^aking as 
if he found it difficult to find words. 

"Troth, then, he won't then," said 
Shaun. "You'll tell it yerself Dinnjr. 
I only see a bit of it." 

"Musha do, Dinny! Go on Dlnny!" 
chorused the audience. 

Dinny as he found himself the center 
of attraction seemed suddenly to find 
again his native eloquence. He laid 
his pipe down on the hob, shoved his 
hat back on his head, and without any 
farther preliminaries, began. 

"Mesef an' Shaun there went to first 
mass this momin', and when we wor 
walkin' up to the chapel, Shaun, he ses 
to me, 'Dinny/ he ses, 'it's a gran' 
day.' Shure there was no gainsayin' 
that an' the sun shin In' like a May 
momin', an' I says to Shaun: "Twould 
be a great day for a run wid the dogs.' 
•Begob, Dinny,' ses Shaun up an' an- 
Bwerin' me, 'the very same thing was 
in my own head. How did you think 
of it at all.' " 

"Musha," ses I, "wouldn't anyone but 
a rale omadhawn think of it, wid the 
0un shinin' fit to break the stones. 
Wherell we go try?" ses I. 

"We ought to try Cloghabrody," ses 
Shaun. "We could go round by KIl- 
mnrry and borry a loan of Tom 
Powers' red tarrier. Wid him an' the 
two hounds an' me own ould mongrel 
'twill be quare if we don't get a rabbit 
if we don't rise a hare. There's one hare 
In It for sartain— a big divil wid a red 
back and 'tis said that 'tis a fairy 
hare It is. Jack Meaney coorsed him, 
an' Dicky Hale God be merciful to him, 
had many's the run out of him, but the 
dogs couldn't get next or near him, an' 
he gonneys, Dinny, meself and yoself 
'11 h^ve a turn out of him now." 

"He's no more a fairy hare than I 
am," ses Shaun, "only Cloghabrody is 
a bad townland for coorsin', an' me 
boyo knows every inch of it; so in the 
name o' God, Dinny." he ses, "we'll go 
afther him and by this time to-morrow 
he'll be over a good share of the road 
to the pot." 

Well, sure when we heard mass, we 
went home^ai^d ate our breakfast, an' 
then made our way over to Tom 
Powers' an' horrled the tarrier. Then 
we crossed up through Rich Moore's 
stubble to Ball3nroe and we bate that, 
thin we wint into Ballygown and bate 
it hi^h up an' low down, ditches and 
hedges, furze an' freach. field an' fal- 
low, down to the very wall of the Kil- 
Itoe demesne without as much as risin' 
a tit lark. 

"Now for Cloghabrody." ses Shaun. 
"^e is in it sure, Dinny, because he'd 
never cross the bogs be the Leena 
Tocar into Columbcille. He's too ould 
a htLjTo to do the likes of that," ses 
Shaun. 

We crossed into Cloghabrody an' 
first and foremost thried the five or six 
big fields along be the Kilkenny road 
and down to Spruhan's boreen, goin' 
down on our very knees when we came 




«THE FAIRY HARB WINKBD HIS LEFT EYE." 



to a gap to see could we see his thracks 
in the mud. But sorra a sight or light of 
him we came across till when we war 
goin' through Ned Kavanagh's turnips 
with the four dogs in a bunch about 
ten yards in front of us Powers' tar- 
rier gives a bark an a yelp an I gives 
a "hulloo" an' up goes as powdherin' 
fine a jack hare as iver I clapped me 
pair of eyes on. 

Off he goes for the stile in the cor- 
ner in an aisy, quick sort of a trot, 
an' the dogs afther him, an' I after the 
dogs, an' Shaun after me. I was up 
on the stile on the heel of the last dog. 
The hare, he took down along be the 
ditch wid Uie whole hue an' cry afther 
him an' I stannin' on the top of the 
ditch ehoutin' my encouragements. But 
what d'ye think? Instead of makin' 
for the next field he keeps runnin* 
round the one he was in an' the dogs 
tumin' him very often, an' he eludin* 
thim like the ould thrick o' the loop, 
till in the end of his perambulations he 
comes up to about twinty foot of me. 
an' then? O, be the hony. if he didn't 
go an' sit down on his two hind legs 
straight forninst me an' rose his right 
paw up to his face an' rubbln' his 
whiskers with it gives me a wink with 
his unnatheral, big left eye as much 
as to say, "That for yerself and yer 
hounds an' yer tarriers, Dinny Maher." 

Whin I saw that hare winkin', a 
traymor wint thro me body that 
stopped the coorse of me blood. An' 
thin off he walks with himself, fair au 
aisy with the dogs In full purchutp, 
and takes across the field be Miller's 
bog into McGrath's houldin', an' away 
for the big rath on the top of the hill 
over the poorhouse. I was feelin' quare 
like an' I turns round to Shaun air 
there he was, the poor fellow, slttin' 
in the middle of a brake of briars at 
my back. 

"Did ye «ee the coorse, Shaun," I ses 
to him. 



"No thin, Dinny. I didn't." he ses. 
"because when I was standing on the 
top stone of the stile at your shoaldher 
if I didn't get a pollhogue between the 
eyes that mesmerized me into the 
bushes. Oh, Dinny, achorra." he sea, 
"that's the quare*hare." 

"You may sing that," ses I, "givin' 
him the end of a bottle of sperits I had 
in my pocket, "but come on till we 
pick up the dogs, anyway." 

We crossed over the quarter of a 
mile or so to the ould fort, an' whin we 
got to it there was the tarriers an' they 
runnin' here an' there through the 
bushes, an' the two greyhounds Ijin' 
down jawkin' afther the run. 

'X:aU off the dogs. Shaun," ses I. "In 
the name of God. Coorsin' sheogs an' 
hirragahatons is notflttin' sport for 
dacent people." 

Shaun called off the dogs, an' with- 
out as much as a word the two of as 
walked up McGrath's boreen to the 
Dublin road. Well we were barely out 
on the road when we saw a little ould 
crayther of a man, with a hareskin cap 
on him an' a blackthorn bunyawn in 
his hand. Meself an' Shaun there we 
know a gra'dle of people an' we never 
saw this ould lad before, an' he wasn't 
a thramp either, because he was too 
dacent lookin'. But the minute I set 
eyes on him I knew he was quare, an' 
the very dogs they came up all in a 
lather of fresh sweat an' put their 
noses in me fist An' the two tarriers 
began yelpin' an' yowlin' the mortal 
same as if they smelt a hare. The 
ould lad he comes up grinnin' an' he 
ses, "Fine day, boys." 

"Aye," ses I, not wishin' to waste 
my breath on the likes of the craythur. 

"Fine day for coorsin'." he see. 
standin' as bould an' brazin' foment 
me on the road as if he was a common 
neeler. 

"Is it," ses I, dhry like, 

" 'Tie that," he ses. "Did ye get a 



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October, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



323 



coorser' with a grin on him. Then me 
blood rose an' I up an' ses: "We did get 
a coorse an' a mighty quare coorse it 
was, too, an' there's them," I ses, not 
very far off that's knows a good deal 
about it. "You ould boccagh," ses I, 
"look at the very dumb, insensible 
craythurs, sick with huntin' a dirty 
hirra(f<ihawu, houldin' their noses in 
my fists for fear they would be over- 
looked.** 

"Oha, oha, oha," ses the ould cray- 
thur turnin* in an' walkin' down the 
very boreen to the rath. An' Shaun 
an' me — faith we walked home an' 
why wouldn't we? 

Now ye have the whole story, an' í 
don't want to be asked questions about 
it because I'm not a Janius an' can't 
give straight answers to crooked ques- 
tions. But it happened as I tould it 
to ye, an' anywan that wants to know 
the truth of it can go an' coorse the 
hare. An Shaun saw it as I saw it, 
an' heard it as I heard it, an' I dara 
him to contradict a word of it." 

And Dinny'B personality, as much as 
hlB last eeatences, both then and on all 
other occaidons, precluded question or 
argument from Shaun or anybody 
elee. 



Peat Bogs As Fuel Sources^ 

1HAVB but lately returned from Eu- 
rope, after an exhaustive study to 
determine the fuel value of "pre- 
pared mud," or in other words, peat 
bogs. In New York, New Jersey and 
in New Bngland there exist thousands 
of acres of a black, dense deposit that 
varies in its fuel value. In Connecti- 
cut the fuel from a very rich peat bog 
having an average depth of 27 feet for 
an area of ten acres, and at the deep- 
est point 40 feet, has been tested un- 
der boilers with very satisfactory re- 
sults. 

At many points in the Berkshire 
Hills are found various sized bogs 
that show a satisfactory result when 
burned under boilers. The shrewd, 
careful Yankee farmer on whose prop- 
erty these deposits occur Is not spend- 
ing much time either cursing or prais- 
ing this condition of affairs; he is, t<^ 
use an old expression, "sawing wood." 

In Germany and Holland the manu- 
facture of fuel from peat bogs for in- 
dustrial purposes dates from 1859, 
when there was established a German 
machine for turning out this fuel at 
Zintenhof, where a cloth factory was 
supplied. A( the present time the in- 
dustry in Germany represents an out- 
put of 2,000,000 metric tons of peat 
fuel. Russia makes about 4,000,000 
metric tons; Norway and Sweden 
about 1,000,000 each, and Holland 2,- 
000,000, of which a single manufac- 
turer produces 100,000 tons. This coun- 
try, as well as Canada (where at pres- 
ent attempts are being made to estab- 
lish this industry), contains many 
thousand tons of "mud fuel" that will 
be worked up some day for local con- 
sumption.— Henry H. Wotherspoon, 
Jr., in New York Sun. 



A Vision of G>nnacht in the 
Thirteenth Centuty* 

By James Clarence Mangan. 

I WALKED entranced 
Through a land of mom; 
The sun, with wondrous excess of 
light 
Shone down and glanced 
Over seas of com. 
And lustrous gardens a-left and right. 
Even in the clime 
Of resplendent Spain 
Beams no such sun upon such a land; 
But it was the time, 
'Twas in the reign, 
Of Cahal Mor of the Wine-red Hand. 

Anon stood nigh 
By my side a man 
Of princely aspect and port sublime. 
Him queried I, 
"Oh, my Lord and Khan, 
What clime is this, and what golden 
time?" 
When he — "The clime 
Is a clime to praise; 
The clime is Erin's, the green and 
bland; 
And it is the time, 
These be the days, 
Of Cahal Mor of the Wine-red Hand!" 

Then I saw thrones. 
And circling fires. 
And a dome rose near me, as by a 
spell. 
Whence flowed the tones 
Of silvery lyres. 
And many voices in wreathed swell; 
And their thrilling chime 
Fell on mine ears 
As the heavenly hymn of an angel- 
band— 
"It is now the time 
These be the years. 
Of Cahal Mor of the Wine-red Hand!" 

I sought the hall, 
And behold! a change 
From light to darkness, from Joy to 
woe! 
Kings, nobles, all, 
Looked aghast and strange; 
The minstrel-group sate in dumbest 
show! 
Had some great crime 
Wrought this dread amaze. 
This terror? None seemed to under- 
stand! 
'Twas then the time. 
We were in the days, 
Of Cahal Mor of the Wine-red Hand. 



I again walked forth! 
But lo! the sky 
Showed fleckt with blood, and an alien 
sun 
Glared from the north. 
And there stood on high, 
Amid his shorn beams, a skeleton! 
It was by the stream 
Of the castled Maine, 
One autumn eve, in the Teuton's land. 
That I dreamed this dream 
Of the time and reign 
Of Cahal Mor of the Wine-red Hand! 



THE weaving industry is being 
greatly encouraged in Ireland. 
New and improved hand looms 
have been introduced, and greater care 
in the spinning and dyeing has been 
demanded by those handling the cloth 
for foreign markets. Several Irish in- 
dustrial societies have labored to im- 
press the importance of keeping up 
and improving the old standards of 
scouring the wool properly before dye- 
ing, and of avoiding aniline dyes. 

Donegal tweeds are sold at the 
monthly fairs at.Ardara, Carrick and 
other towns, and are not there very 
costly. They are sold in large rolls, 
twenty-five and sixty yards in length, 
and only about twenty-eight inches 
wide. It is observed that the home- 
spuns sold in the shops are all double 
width goods, such as no peasant loom 
could possibly produce. 



The Trouble With the Eng- 
lish Language* 

IN Harper's Magazine for August, 
Brander Matthews voices the, need 
for the development of a purely 
English language and criticises some 
of the present characteristics of the 
language: 

"At the beginning of the nineteenth 
century English was spoken as a na- 
tive tongue by a few more than twen- 
ty millions of men and women; and at 
the end of the century it was spoken 
by very nearly a hundred and thirty 
millions. 

"Probably the English-speaking race 
cannot possibly quintuple Itself again 
or even quadruple Itself in the twen- 
tieth century, but it will pretty cer- 
tainly double, and it may very likely 
treble Itself within the next hundred 
years. 

"Before the year 2000 the number of 
those who use English as their natural 
epeech will be between two hundred 
and fifty millions and five hundred 
millions. Before the year 2000 English 
will have outstripped all its rivals— ex- 
cepting only the Russian, which rep- 
resents another civilization in a more 
or less remote part of the globe. Be- 
fore the year 2000 English will have 
forced a recognition of its right to be 
considered a world language. 

"And in what condition is the lan- 
guage itself to undertake the vast work 
thus laid upon it?— to serve as a me- 
dium of communication for so many 
hundreds of millions of men and wo- 
men. Fortunately the condition of 
English is in the main not unsatis- 
factory. English has discarded most 
of the elaborate syntactical machinery 
which still cumbers more prlmiflve 
languages like the Russian, its future 
rival and the German, its chief Teu- 
tonic sister-tongue. 

"It i« therefore a very easy language 
to learn by word of mouth. Its most 
obvious defect is that its orthography 
is more barbarous and more unscien- 
tific than that of any other of the im- 
portant languages. Almost every one. 
of the leading scholars in linguistics is 
on record in denunciation of English 
orthogrraphy as iV^I^ ta-daV/^TiO 
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324 



rHE GAEL 



October, Í903. 



tADY 

SliifTERY 




'f S.H.CRJKEK 



'CAN YOU TELL MB WHAT PLACB THIS IS?" 




OME years ago, when I was one 
of a fishing party in the South 
of Ireland, it was my custom 
each Sunday afternoon to 
sally forth for a long con- 
stitutional, In order to 
: stretch my legs — cramped 
from sitting in a boat for 
the greater part of the 
week— and to explore the 
country. I generally ex- 
plored alone, for my broth- 
er and his wife preferred to 
spend the shining hours reading, gos- 
sipping, or idling under the ash-trees 
in the hotel grounds. 

During one of my aimless rambles I 
found myself about five miles from our 
quarters, turning into a shady road, 
the prettiest I ever remembered to have 
seen. Sheer above me, to the left, tow- 
ered the dark purple "Reeks"; low on 
the right glittered a sliver lake, of 
which each bend In the way or break 
among the trees revealed an enchant- 
ing vista of wooded island?, bays, or 
promontories. 

But by degrees this prospect became 
lost to sight; a high, dilapidated wall 
screened it completely — a wall bulging 
out dangerously here and there, but 
clothed with thick moss and delicate 
fern, and held together with ropes of 
ancient ivy. A dilapidated entrance 
corresponding to the wall presently 
came into view, and perched on one of 
the tumble-down gate-piers, sat an old 
man in his Sunday clothes, smoking a 



black dhudeen. This he took out of his 
mouth in order to say: "A fine even- 
ing, yer honor"; for the Kerry peas- 
ants are always gracious, and never 
meet a stranger without some civil re- 
mark. 

"Can you tell me what place this 
is?" I inquired, halting at the gate, and 
pointing down the grass-grown avenue 
which wound away among the trees. 

"An' why wouldn't I?" he replied. 
•"Tis called 'Fota.' But sure 'tis in 
ruins — ^an empty house hereabouts falls 
to pieces in ten years. 'Tis the soft 
climate as does it." 

"And has this place not been occu- 
pied for ten years?" I asked. 

"No, nor for thirty. Maybe ye'd like 
to come in and take a look around, for 
it was wance the loveliest spot in 
Kerry." 

"That is saying a good deal," I an- 
swered. "Thank you. I should be glad 
to see it." And I promptly clambered 
over the broken stile. Meanwhile, the 
old man knocked the ashes out of his 
pipe, deliberately descended from his 
perch, and led the way between an 
overgrowth of trees and shrubs, do^n 
the back avenue into a yard entirely 
surrounded by large roofless out- 
houses. 

"Now, did ye ever see the like?" he 
demanded, waving one hand dramat- 
ically. 

No, I certainly never had! Ranic 
grass a foot high covered the stones, 
the pump wa^ a wreck, the stables 



were lalra of nettles and old Iron. 

"An' when the ould master. G-^neral 
Ma earthy, lived, sure there wasn't as 
much as a straw astray." And h'^ 
nodded his head expressively. 

We next passed through a gap In a 
wall, and came upon the track of th*? 
front avenue^ winding out of a forest 
of trees. There wer? trees on all síde^, 
and on a sort oF wide plateau stood the 
house. T was miserably disappointed 
at first sight* I muat admit* "The 
house" was a mere cnttage, and from 
the dimenistons of ihe yard, the en- 
trance, and the lmpK>sÍng stretch of 
lawns and timber, I had expected a 
mansion. The grounds sloped gradual- 
ly down to the water's edge, which was 
almost entirely hidden by a dense 
growth of laurels; and scattered over 
a wilderness, to the left, were wonder- 
fully luxuriant flowering shrubs, pam- 
pas grass, arbutus, rhododendron, 
giant fuchsias, and at a distance, a 
high and hoary garden-wall. I peered 
into this, through its rusty gate, and 
beheld a dense jungle of grass, wild 
flowers, and aged fruit trees gone mad. 

Then I slowly retraced my steps, and 
joined the old man, who was sitting on 
a low window-sill, and from this coign 
of vantage we overlooked the lake for 
a considerable time in absolute silence 
The situation and the view were not 
to be surpassed. 

"And so you say this cottage has 
been empty for thirty years?" I re- 
marked at last. - 

"Yes, 'tis thirty years last June since 
they left it — I worked here for the 
General — man and boy— »and the gar- 
den below was just a wonder. When 
he died it was let for a term; after 
that it went to rack and ruin." 

"And does no one ever come near 
it?" 

"The caretaker once a week," he re- 
plied. "It is let to graziers for dry 
heifers, and that's all. 'Tis a mortal 
pity." 

I stood up and gazed into the empty 
shell of a house. It was originally a 
glorified cottage, with four spacious 
rooms and a wide hall; apparently the 
kitchen and servants' premises were at 

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October, Í903. 



THE GAEL. 



325 



the back. The roof was still intact, 
there were remnants of rich carving, 
and scraps of expensive wall paper still 
streaked the walls (which also bore 
the signatures of half the county); in 
the drawing-room was a boat, while 
the dining-room evidently served as a 
byre for the dry heifers! 

"Of course when a house is left empty 
for years, 'tis a sore temptation," ob- 
served my companion in an apologetic 
key. "The poor people around have 
made away with the grates, and doors, 
and window-sashes. Faix! the old Gen- 
eral spared no money on it, and if he 
was to see it now, he'd haunt the 
place." 

"It looks as if it ought to have a his- 
tory," I observed, as I once more seat- 
ed myself beside him. 

"Faix, then, no, yer honor, I can't 
say as it has; but I could tell you a 
mighty quare tale of a child that was 
born there." 

"I should like to hear it, if I may," 
I said, offering him my tobacco-pouch. 

"Well, then, and hear it you shall! 
— ^here goes!" stuffing as he spoke a 
generous amount of tobacco into the 
bowl of his pipe, and thrusting it down 
with a horny thumb. " 'Tis more than 
thirty years ago, when there were no 
gentlemen's lodges round the lake, no, 
nor no coaches, or railroads, or tele- 
graphs, but terrible long journeys, and 
hardships on cars, and the best of fish- 
ing and fowling. Now we have a pow- 
er of quality coming to and fro. and 
admiring all this"— waving his hand— 
"and bringing good money, God be 
praised, for it's badly wanted. But 
when I was young, a stranger herea- 
bouts was as much of a curiosity as 
an elephant; and it made a notorious 
stir when this very place was took by 
the Earl of Mortimer and his Coun- 
tess." 

"English people, " I remarked. "1 
know the name," (I knew the present 
Earl by sight, and had seen his his- 
torical abbey, his celebrated library, 
his priceless pictures. He was a rich, 
arrogant, childless old hermit— a mar- 
tyr to gout and pride.) 

"Yes, Mortimer, sir. I learnt off the 
name thinking of mortar," continued 
my companion. "They was not too 
long married, and come on a spree-like 
and without many servants " 

"What brought them here?" I asked. 
"How did they discover it?" 

"I don't rightly know," he replied; 
•T3ut they were highly delighted, I can 
tell ye — ^hls lordship wld the sport; for 
in those days ye couldn't put your foot 
on the mountain without standing on 
a bird; and as for fish, they were wait- 
ing on ye!" 

"More than they are now!" I retort- 
ed. "Many a day I've waited on 
them!" 

"Himself liked the fishing, and her 
ladyship the place. It was soon after 
ttie master dying, and was just fairy- 
land. The fuchsia-hedges were a sight, 
tiie palms a wonder, the magnolia -trees 
the size of a cabin — as for the passion 
flowers, the house was smothered be 
tween them, and roses; and the carna- 
tions scented half the lake!" 

He paused, and drew breath after 



this burst of eloquence, struck á 
match, and resumed 

"Ye may see this terrace here? 1 
keep it still weeded. 'Twas here the 
old master took his stroU-^'twas here 
she used to walk." He heaved a pro- 
found sigh, and then continued, in a 
brisker key 

"Yes, his lordship and her ladyship 
was well contented, though maybe it 
was a bit lonely for her. Many an 
evening I've seen her walking up and 
down this same terrace here, watching 
for the boat Oh, she was like a pic- 
ture, I declare!" 

"Do you remember her?" I inquired. 

"An' who wouldn't? Bedad, I do! 
If I was to shut me eyes I could see her 
standing there «till, her hair (and she 
had crowds of it), what would stuff a 
pillow, was dark red, like a copper 
beech— a small lily face, set on a long 
white throat, a pair of laughing eyes, 
and wee hands just a blaze of stones. 
Her voice was as sweet as a song, and 
when she smiled — ochone, ochone! it 
gave yer heart a squeeze. I never saw 
anytning like it. before." 

"Or since?" I suggested. 

"Oh, bedad, sir, I've seen the very 
comrade of it, and I'll tell ye no lie! 
Well, her ladyship was mad on flow- 
ers, and she used to come and talk to 
me when I was working, asking ques- 
tions about the country-folk, and their 
matches, and quare ways, and about 
the ould master, God rest him! And 
she said how sad it was to see his place 
let to strangers. 'It's a paradise,' says 
she; "the loveliest spot I've ever seen. 
You ought to be proud of your country, 
Mat Donovan.' " 

"I told her I was so, and prouder 
again, that it was plasin' to her." 

"That was a real bit of blarney," I 
remarked. 

" 'Twas not, sorr! 'Twas her due," 
he retorted with vehemence. "Well, 
one night there w&s a terrible whirra- 
loo. Her ladyship had a baby unex- 
pected! No doctor, nor nurse, nor 
clothes ready, and old 'Betty the Brag' 
called in, for the French maid was no 
good at all— but for screeching! 

"The baby was a girl, and a cruel 
disappointment, as a boy was wanted. 
However, she had to be reared all the 
same, and there was no means of feed- 
ing the creature till Betty bethought 
her of Katie Foley — she had a young 
infant. Katie was about forty, a big, 
strong major of a woman. She'd been 
terribly unlucky, and lost five children 
— some was born dead — some had just 
the breath in them. People give it out 
it was a fairy blast Howsoever, she 
had a living child at long last, three 
weeks old, and she took on the other 
poer little crawneen, and it throve ele- 
gantly. Well, when everything was 
going fair and aisy, bedad! her lady- 
ship, all of a sudden, took and died. 
Just went ofT, wid no more warning 
nor a snowflake! 

"I tell ye, his lordship was like a 
madman, and out of his mind wid 
grief. The windows used to be wide 
open— it was the summer, ye know, 
and I've heard him calling on her, and 
crying to her to come back. I declare 
to ye, sir, 'twas enough to melt the 



Rock of Gashel, but sure, she was gone. 
They took her to England, along with 
a great train of black mourners, and 
left the place just as it stood, and the 
child wid Katie. 

"She had a nice, decent house of her 
own, and his lordship would not so 
much as look at the baby, and was ter- 
ribly bitter against it. Faix! there 
seemed a sort of blight on the family, 
for in a couple of months the child 
pined off and died, and was packed in 
an elegant little white and silver coffin 
and taken away to the grand family 
burying ground and laid alongside the 
mother. 

"His lordship sent Katie Foley fifty 
pounds to bank for her little Mary, and 
there was an end of that. The news 
came after a few years as how his lord- 
ship was drowned off a yacht He had 
never married again, and his cousin 
fell in for all the estate and grandeur. 

"Little Mary throve well. She was 
a rale beauty, and just the core of John 
Foley's heart, and the apple of his eye. 
She was that clever and quick, wid 
such taking ways, but awful dainty 
about her food, and wid a terrible high 
sperrit, and just bone-idle. Learning 
was no trouble to her, if she took the 
notion, and she grew up a lovely girl; 
and it wasn't alone the golden sover- 
eigns she had to her fortune, as made 
all the boys crazy to marry her. 'Twas 
her pretty face and queer ways — not 
bold at all, but imparious and com- 
manding. She could ha' married any- 
one she pleased. There was a strong 
farmer from' this side of Kenmare 
crazy about her, and I knew a police 
sergeant that was just out of his 
mind." 

"And which did she take?" I asked 
indifferently, for my attention was 
ebbing fast 

"Neither oi», or other," he solemnly 
responded. "She would have no match 
drawn down, but was for pickin' and 
ehooBÍn', ju» t like a lady! At the heel 
of the huT,\ she took the worst of the 
pack — a gviod-looking boy from near 
Tralee, as wild for fun and dancing as 
lierself ; and sorra a penny or a penny's 
worth but a landing-net and a concer- 
tina. 

"In spite of all that her mother could 
say, she would have Mick Slattery, and 
no one else, and so they were married. 
She ha;s a whole house full of childer, 
and no work in her at all. She's smart 
enough in her dress, and keeps the 
youngsters tidy, but no more. She'll 
spend half the day standing in the 
door, colloguing and laughing wid the 
neighbors, or running off to the town, 
and she's at every dance and wake in 
the barony. Mick does half the work 
himself, and Mary is so funny and so 
clever he cannot say a cross word to 
her. Oh, she's a rare one to talk, and 
has always a word with the men; and 
a pick and a bit out of them!" 

"But how do they live if he had 
nothing but a concertina?". I asked im- 
patiently. 

"Sure, Mick Slattery has charge of 
a piece of the line and a good snug 
house at the 'level-crossing, so they 
don't do too badly^ though ^he's a 

**"•*»' fí?5it^lí^'y"Í:.OOgle _ 



326 



THE GAEL^ 



October, 1903. 



"Well, old John, who was terribly 
proud of Mary, died, and his wife, well 
over seventy, was all her lone, and got 
very queer in her head. They say her 
mother was the same, though somf 
made out it was tay-drinldng: she 
never had the taypot out of her hand. 
Whatever it was, she was so mortial 
strange that Mick and Mary brought 
her home, and let her own the house; 
but it wasn't better, but worse she got 
— terribly onaisy and restless, and 
worrying in herself. At long last, she 
bid them send for the priest, as she 
had something on her soul; and when 
he came she up and told him — and she 
told Mary, and she told anyone that 
would listen to her — and this was her 
story." 

Here Pat took one or two loud buck» 
at his pipe, and then continued im- 
pressively: "What do ye think Katie 
giv out? That her child died— it was 
always droopy — and she could not bear 
to part wid the other. She loved it a? 
if it was her own. Its father hated it, 
and would marry again, and rear ti 
family, and never grudge her the lit- 
tle girlie at all; and so she sent off her 
^ead baby to the grand place in Eng- 
land, and kept the stranger, who grew 
up lovely and strong and clever, and 
everything that was surprising for 
quickness and talk. 

"Katie took great pride out of her, 
and soon forgot as she wasn't her own 
flesh and blood. And John Foley, he 
never knew; and he just lived for his 
daughter. Well, this lasted for years 
and years, but now that Katie was 
growing old, her sin rose up before 
her, her conscience tormented her, and 
she said she must ease her mind before 
she died; and she made out she felt 
awfully bad, and that when Mary look- 
ed in her face, with her ladyship's own 
eyes and her ladyship's smile, she just 
stiffened in the bed!" 

"And how did everyone receive this 
amazing news — what did they say?" I 
demanded. 

"Paix, Mary only jeered at it for 
pure balderdash. She wai a Kerry 
woman born and bred, and Irish came 
easier to her than English. To be an 
English countess, and own castles and 
coaches and servants, and to wear a 
gold crown on her head, why, it would 
kill her if it was true! Her mammy 
was joking; she was her own little 
Mary, and no one else." 

"And what did the priest -say?" I in- 
quired with rekindled interest. 

"His reverence gave it against Mrs. 
Foley too. Anyhow, she was too late. 
Thurty years had passed, and why go 
to upset a grand English family, may- 
be for nothing? Katie had no proof but 
her bare word; no document, no wit- 
ness. Everyone laughed at Mrs. Foley's 
queer notion, and treated the story as 
being a fairy-tale. Mary was no Eng- 
lisher; there was not a lighter foot in 
a jig or a better warrant to sing an old 
Irish lament in all the countryside. 

"Howsomdever, Katie used to 
whinge and whimper and moan, pray- 
ing and begging leave to make resti- 
tution. She was altogether bedridden, 
and they had her within, up in the 
room, and there she used to lie all day 



long, beating her two hands on the 
bare walls, and praying, and crying by 
the hour. Ye know, the head of her 
was not right; and her mother went 
the same way before her. She never 
called her daughter anything but 
'Lady Mary'— that was her madness, 
ye see — and many a time she'd screech, 
'Sure, them's not my grandchilder at 
all, but the grandchilder of the Earl 
of Mortimer — ^hasn't Johnny the very 



moral of his fatures — oh, wasn't I the 
wicked woman? — I had no scruple; 
may the saints pity me!— but the l.ttle 
warm, live child just caught me by the 
heart — how could I send her away and 
sit again by the empty cradled 

"Well, Katie carried on like thia for 
a good while, no one minding the poor 
crazy creature— seeing, as I tell ye, her 
own mother was took in the same 
way! And in the end she died. She 




SHE TOOK THB WORST— A GOOD-LOOKINO BOY/'^ 



J 



October, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



327 



got the height of respect, and a funeral 
that cost ten pounds — ^two long cars, 
no less, and lots of porter, and meat, 
and whisky. Faix, the Slatterys hur- 
led the old lady in style." 

"And was that the end of it?" I in- 
quired. 

"It was the end of Katie/' he replied; 
"hut I believe, on me solemn oath, 
that there was something In her story, 
all the same. It's getting a bit late," 
he added, rising. "Me old bones is 
full of rheumatiz: I'm as stiff as a 
crutch, and I must be going before the 
dew falls, or me daughter will have 
me life." 

"But, surely, not before you finish 
your fitory," I urged, as I also rose and 
followed him towards the avenue. 
"What grounds have you for thinking 
there was something in it?" 

"Faix, it's no sacret! Anyone could 
see it that nad eyes in their head. 
John and Katie was as black as the 
crows. Mary has hair like a copper 
kettle, a white swan throat, a dancing 
eye, and a little weenchie hand. Oh, 
she's Just the born image of her lady- 
ship. Now isn't that strange?" and he 
halted and looked hard at me. 

"Not if she is her daughter," I an- 
swered promptly. 

"Whist!" he cried, turning about 
as if he was afraid that the very trees 
had ears. "Never let that pass your 
lips! I only think of it in my heart 
when I come here alone — as I do every 
Sunday." 

"And has this strange likeness 
struck other people?" I asked. 

"No, sir. You see none of the neigh- 
bors had much chance of seeing tho 
Countess. She was mostly out boat- 
ing, or staying at home, and it's thirty 
years ago, ye know, and not wan re- 
members whether her hair was black 
or yellow. Now, I saw her every mor- 
tial day — and for hours, too — and I can 
never forget her, for I never saw any- 
one like her for beauty; no, and never 
will again." 

"Except Mary Slattery. Is she not 
admired and remarked all over the 
country?" 

"No, I can't <say as she is. She's too 
slim and small made for the Kerry 
folk, and has no great color. They 
talk of her singing, and dancing, and 
clever smart chat within these three 
parishes, but no one thinks much of 
Mary's looks." 

'*! must confess that I should like to 
see her," I exclaimed. 

"That's aisy enough," he replied, "if 
ye will give yourself the trouble to 
walk up some afternoon to the level 
crossing beyond the chapel. There ye 
will see Mary herself, standing in her 
doorway, wid a clean apron, and her 
hair as shining as new brass, ready to 
have a word and a joke wid the first 
passer-by, and the house behind her 
Just scandalous! She has no heart for 
work." 

"Well, you have told me a most in- 
teresting story, and I shall do my best 
to visit Mrs. Slattery," 1 <m\á. as we 
came at last to a halt outside the gate 

"Yes, and It's Bible truth I'm after 
telling ye, and here our roads go dif- 



ferent ways. Augh! not at all, sir," he 
exclaimed. "Sure, I couldn't be taking 
your money! Well, well, then I'll not 
say agin the tobacco. I'm thankful 
fer yer company, and for yer kindness 
to a bothered old man, listening to his 
quare foolish talk," and with a hasty 
nod, he turned his back on me, and 
hobbled away. 

In a short time I, too, was rapidly 
leaving the woods behind me. In spito 
of the tangled undergrowth and its 
yawning ruins, Fota was a lovely spot, 
and I honestly marvelled that it had 
never found a second tenant, or that 
no one appreciated its beauty but this 
ancient retainer? And was his all 
mere foolish talk? I asked myself, as 
I hurried along. Truth was frequently 
etranger than fiction — why should not 
this be truth? 

The rugged old gardener, still haunt- 
ing the spot where he had worked 
(man and boy), and conjuring up the 
image of the beautiful lady who had 
inspired him with such deathless ad- 
miration, presented a curious, not to 
say romantic picture! I think it oc- 
casionally happens that when one 
hears of an unusual circumstance or 
even name, or lights upon an uncom- 
mon story^ it soon crops up a second 
time— or Is corroborated in some unex- 
pected quarter. 

That very same evening Mary Slat- 
tery appeared as a topic of conversa- 
tion and it was not I who introduced 
her, but Dolly, my vivacious sister-in- 
law. 

"So you have been for one of your 
dreadful Sunday tramps," she remark- 
ed to me over the soup, "and seen a 
most beautiful spot. Well, I have bare- 
ly strolled a mile and eeen a most 
beautiful woman." 

"That's a common sight in Kerry," 
I retorted. 

"Yes, of a certain style— black hair, 
grey eyes put in with a dirty finger- 
but my discovery is of a different type. 
Chestnut locks, delicate features, 
graceful figure, she carries her head 
like royalty, and Vandyke would have 
been glad to have painted her hands — 
though they are rather red, I must 
confess!" 

"Yes," I answered, "I know the 
beauty. She lives at a railway-cross- 
ing, and her name is Mary Slattery." 

"Pray, how did you discover her?" 

"I have heard of her," I replied eva- 
sively. "But how did yau make her 
acquaintance?" 

"Through one of her children who 
was swinging on a gate— a pretty little 
cherub called Johnny. I have quite a 
circle of new friends about here, and I 
know Mrs. Slattery pretty well. I've 
promlsea lo go and see her to-morrow, 
and to take the children a cake and 
some clothes." 

"T^ke me, too," was my unexpected 
request. 

"You are not in earnest. It is our 
last day, and you grudge every hour 
you have no rod In your hand." 

"I'll give the fish a holiday to-mor- 
row afternoon. I should liKe to see 
your wonderful beauty." 

"And shoot her with a kodak." 



"Happy thought; if she has no ob- 
jection, I shall be charmed," I replied. 

"She looks brimming over with good 
temper and good-will. I dare say she 
will be delighted to sit, if you will 
promise her a copy; but I know per- 
fectly well that, when to-morrow 
comes, you will have forgotten her 
very existence; and, by the way, you 
left your kodak at Killarney!" 

But my lively sister-in-law was mis- 
taken for once. Five o'clock the next 
afternoon found me escorting her 
along the high breezy road which runs 
parallel down to the line, carrying her 
offerings in the shape of a paper bag 
(half a dozen sponge-cakes, the best 
she could procure) and a large, mys- 
terious parcel of soft goods. We soon 
came In sight of the white gate apd the 
snug house beside it; this latter faced 
due south, was within about twenty 
yards of the railway line, and its com- 
monplace face was almost concealed 
by a thick veil of crimson roses. 

Outside, on a reversed bucket, sat a 
slender auburn-haired youog woman, 
engaged In knitting a black stocking, 
and endeavoring to keep order between 
four lively children, a puppy, a singed 
white cat, as well as a mixed multitude 
of presumptuous poultry, who crowded 
around, watching her every movement 
with expectant attention, bhe raised 
her head, then rose to her feet as we 
approached, greeting Dolly with a 
radiant glance. So this was Mary Slat- 
tery! Yes; and, although not locally 
credited with "looks," she was undeni- 
ably pretty — ^nay, even beautiful; with 
clean-cut, high-bred features, and, for 
all her peasant's clothes, an aristocrat 
to the tips of her little pink fingers! 

"Ah, thin, sure it's too kind of your 
ladyship to be thinking of these chil- 
dren!" she exclaimed, with a wonder- 
ful smile that lit up her whole face. 
(Her ladyship's smile!) "Johnny, wlU 
yer take yer hand out of yer mouth, 
and say 'Thank ye!' nicely to the 
lady," for Johnny had clutched the 
paper bag in a vice-like grip— evident- 
ly cakes were a rare prize! 

"You will share it with your brother 
and sisters, won't you?" pleaded Dolly 
in a coaxing key. 

"An' to be sure he will; and bye 
maybe a bit for the dog and the cat, 
too. He's no nagur* answered his 
mother, as she carefully portioned out 
the cakes among her clamorous off- 
spring, whilst the chickens gathered 
anxiously around, hoping for crumbs. 

"This is my brother-in-law," ex- 
plained Dolly, introducing me at 
last. 

"I'm glad to see yer honor, and hope 
ye have had sport galore," she said 
politely. 

"Pretty well. I thank you," I replied. 
"How do you like living so close to the 
railway. Mrs. Slattery?" 

"Faix, I like It well enough, sir; it's 
gay to see the trains going by — four a 
day— and two on Sunday, foreby the 
goods." 

"And do you mind the gate?" 

"Yes, when Mlfjk is up the lines— 
that's himseU,"' now pointing to a 
good-lookinf m^i^wlth 9'. Jhock pt 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



328 



THE GAEL* 



October, J 903* 



dark hair, who was busily occupied in 
digging potatoes. 

"Do you eat many potatoes?" asked 
my sister. 

"Augh! no/' with a gesture of ab- 
horrence, "I hate potatoes; and when 
our bag of flour went astray on the 
train 'ere, last week, I was daggin' 
round for something to keep me alive 
—so I was!" 

"And wnat did you find?" I said. 

"Ned Macarthy give me a couple of 
salmon-trout Tve rather a delicate 
stomach — wid respect to you — I never 
can stir in the morning till Mick makes 
me a cup of tay." 

"Then do you mean to say your hus- 
band gets up and lights the fire, and 
boils the kettle?" cried Dolly in great 
surprise. Nothing would induce her 
husband to. do so, as she and 1 well 
knew! 

"Oh, Mick is mighty good to me!" 
she confessed with a »aucy smile. 
"Sure, he knows I'm not up to much!" 



Here Mick himself arrived, with a bas- 
ket, and touching his hat to us, said: 

"Won't the lady come in and take a 
sate, and a cup of milk? Mary, me girl, 
Where's your manners?" It struck mc 
that Mary would have infinitely pre- 
ferred to lounge outside, knitting and 
talking, and had evidently not the truc 
Irish instinct, which instantly offers a 
welcome, a seat, and, if possible, re- 
freshment. 

"Ah, sure, the house is all upset, and 
through other," she answered, reluct- 
antly opening the door sH^ she spoke, 
"and not fit for company. Still, I'll be 
proud if the lady will walk in and sit 
down." 

On this invitation we both walked in 
and the untidiness of the abode fully 
justified old Pat's strictures. It was 
scandalous! 

The room was a good size, the fur- 
niture strong and useful; but the fire 
was dead out, a pot hung over a pile 
of white ashes, a tub with a half-wash- 



ed pair of corduroy trousers stood in 
the middle of the floor, a variety of 
cups and saucers, unwashed, studded 
the table, and the ground, littered with 
sticks and cabbage-leaves, was badly 
in need of sweeping. Mary Slattery's 
little hands were evidently incapable 
of rough work, but there were futile 
efiorts at decoration! The dresser ex- 
hibited some gaudy delf, and various 
cracked pieces of crockery. There 
stood a huge bunch of wild flowers in 
a tin porringer, and on the walls was 
quite a gallery of colored pictures from 
the illustrated papers. . The window- 
curtains were looped back, and that in 
the most approved fashion, yet I des- 
cried an old goat under the stairs and 
a clocking hen behind the door. 

Meanwhile Mick made a desperate ef- 
fort to "redd up" the place. He carried 
away the tub, chased forth the goat, 
put forward two chairs, and endeavor- 
ed with the whole strength of his 
lungs to rekindle a few turves among 




•*SHB WAS BNOAOBD IN KNITTING AND SURROUNDED BY HbR CHILDRBM^ 



Digitized by V^OOQIC 



October, J903* 



THE GAEU 



329 



the pile of ashes. All this tíme Mary, 
hlB wife, with true patrician unconcern, 
stood knitting, and talking to D0II7, 
precisely as if she were receiving her 
amid the most luxurious surroundings, 
and absolutely unconscious of any 
cliortcomings. 

Now if she had been a true bom 
Irishwoman she would have been pour- 
ing forth an irrepressible torrent of 
excellent and plausible excuses. And 
here, to me, was an incontrovertible 
proof that in Mary Slattery's veins ran 
no Foley blood, but that she was the 
descendant of a colder race — daughter 
of a hundred earls! As she conversed 
with serene nonchalance, her four lit- 
tle bright-eyed children, with high- 
bridged noses, watched us with un- 
challenged curiosity, whilst they 
munched their stale sponge-cakes. 

Dolly, who was impetuous and vol- 
uble, made wonderful use of her 
tongue, and I on my part made use of 
my eyes. The young woman leaning 
against the dresser was plainly not in 
keeping with her background; her po«>e 
was grace itself, unconscious and un- 
atudied—poscibly the heritage of cen- 
turies of court life and elaborate cour- 
tesies. Her short blue cotton skirts 
revealed a pair of black woollen stock- 
ings and cobbler's shoes, but even 
these failed to conceal the high-arched 
Instep ana slim little foot; and the 
hands that twinkled among the flying 
knitting needles might have been 
painted by Vandyke, so delicate, taper, 
refined, and absolutely useless did they 
look! Mary Slattery had a sweet voice 
and a pleasant and melodious brogue; 
she and Dolly had much to say to one 
another. Dolly talked away and ask- 
ed questions, and listened in return to 
accounts of funerals and wakes, 
dances, matches and matchmakers. 

"Then matchmakers does go up and 
down the country making matches,*' 
said Mrs. Slattery. "One of the pair 
must have land, and the other money, 
and when it is all fixed the young man 
comes to the house one evening, they 
are married at once,- and if they are 
well liked, get a great drag home." 

"But if the young man does not 
fancy the girl, what happens?" asked 
my sister, with raised brows. 

"Oh, he makes an excuse. But that's 
very seldom," replied the other; "and 
the girl never. The old people take 
the money and clear out; the young 
ones has the farm and works it The 
matches answer well enough; but I 
knew a boy once who never seen the 
girl till the morning they were mar- 
ried. Paix, he was not too well satis- 
fied!" and she gave a mischievous 
laugh. 

"I am sure your match was not made 
in that fashion," boldly announced 
Dolly. 

"In troth, then, an' it was not!" re- 
plied Mrs. Slattery with emphasis. 
••Mick and I were at schobl together, 
and I was before him in the books. 
Wasn't I now, Mick?' 

"Bedad, ye were before me in every- 
thing," he answered with a sheepish 
grin. 'T often wondered where she got 
her brains from! She's mad for read- 



ing," he continued proudly, "and she'd 
be stuck in a book all day long if she 
could get hold of one." 

"What part of Ireland do you come 
from, Mrs. Slattery?" continued Dolly. 
"You are not Kerry, at any rate. Any- 
one can see that!" 

"Deed then I am, ma'am," she re- 
plied emphatically. "And where else? 
Why wouldn't I be Kerry born bred?" 

"Because you are so unlike the other 
people, who have dark hair and blue 
or gray eyes, and are more strongly 
built. And you " 

"Oh, yes," she Interrupted, "I'm 
aware I'm different Very small sized, 
wid red hair and brown evps, and no 
color to speak of; but it's just a chancy 
thing, like a piebald horse or a blue- 
eyed cat! We can't be all cut out on 
wan pattern — there's the chllder, too. 
None av them favors no one," pointing 
to the four intent faces, and fine aris- 
cratic noses outside the door. "I don't 
know how on the living earth they 
come by their looks. Their fine soft 
hair, and their little ears— aye! and 
their queer temper?. Come in here to 
me, Micky," she added suddenly, "and 
pull a good few roses for the lady." 

Micky immediately obeyed, and pres- 
ently entered, bearing a large strag- 
gling bunch, which he at once offered 
to my sister without the least mau- 
raise Jionte, and the air of a little gen- 
tleman. 

"That's the boy!" cried his mother 
approvingly. He was a handsome, well- 
made fellow, with a square chin and 
clear hazel eyes that looked you full in 
the face. 

"Thank you, Mick," said Dolly. 
"How old are you?" 

"Ten, ma'am." 

"And going to school, of course?" 

♦•Oh, yes; I'm in the third book." 

"What are you going to be when 
you grow up?" 

"A soldier." 

"Oh, there'll be two words to that," 
protested his mother. "What put sol- 
diers in yer head. Micky ava?" 

"I don't know rightly," and he col- 
ored up. "I think they were always 
there. Mammy, there's a. goods train 
coming!" And he scampered out. 

Mrs. Slattery instantly laid down 
her knitting and hurried after him. 

"Are you not afraid of something 
happening to the ctílldren?" I asked, 
as we rose and followed her. "You are 
so close to the line." 

"Indeed and I was, sir, when they 
were little," she said. "I once got a 
terrible fright with Johnny. I'd only 
just time to tear him off the ground ere 
the train passed. I was away at the 
back, feeding the pig, when I saw the 
train coming very fast, and he had 
crawled out of his bed and on to the 
rails. Holy Mary! but I ran that day; 
I tell you. the fright knocked the heart 
out of me!" 

"Oh, dear! I declare It Is six o'clock, 
and we must be going," suddehly an- 
nounced Dolly, looking at her watch. 
••We shall just have time lo run across 
before you close the gates. Good-bye, 
to you all — au rero/r!" 

She hastened over, and stood and 



nodded back to Mary, whilst I dragged 
forward and shut the two heavy gates 
for which service I was rewarded with 
a brilliant smile, and a demure little 
curtesy, and that was the last I saw 
of "Lady Mary Slattery." 

"Well." exclaimed Dolly, as we turn- 
ed our backs on the railway and our 
faces towards a long stretch of heather 
and a noble range of mountains, "now 
tell me frankly what you think of her. 
Is she not beautiful? Has she not an 
extraordinary air of refinement and 
distinction?" 

"Oh, yes; she's uncommon-looking 
and all that," I muttered in reply. 

"Did you notice her low voice and 
her odd slow smile — a family smile. I 
should imagine? And yet, of course, 
I'm talking the most arrant nonsense! 
Can you believe that her mother was 
some old Kerry peasant woman who 
dug potatoes and smoked a jtipe'i Come 
now, can you?" she repeated. 

"No, I cannot," I answered doggedly. 

"And yet there are her husband and 
her barefooted children, just peasants; 
and she talks of a rise of eigh teen- 
pence a week to Mick as if it were the 
utmost bounds of her ambition. The 
first time I was there I gave her a sov- 
ereign, and you should have seen how 
she colored up with pleasure, though 
she did not say much, and I almost felt 
as if I weie offering it to an equal. One 
would take her for a lady If she were 
dressed up— a Somebody, In fact" 

"Yes, Lady Mary Slattery." I men- 
tally added, and we walked on In si- 
lence for a considerable time. 'The 
Mortimers were a notoriously haughty 
family, ancient, exclusive and wealthy; 
they had dwindled down to one rather 
frail old branch. What would the Earl 
of Mortimer say to this Irish heiress 
who fed pigs, and washed, and cooked 
(very badly); who was the wife of a 
Kerry working-man, mother of four 
fine Kerry children? Could sbe ever 
be trained, educated, changed, * and 
fitted for her high degree? Never! 

"Come, you have not opened your 
lips for half a mile," broke in Dolly Im- 
patiently. "A penny for your thoughts. 
What are you thinking about?" 

"That I hope we shall have cran- 
berry tart for dinner," was my menda- 
cious answer. 

"Oh, you greedy person! I fancied 
you might be puzzling out the enigma 
of the young woman at the crossing. 
I must confess that she baffles me. She 
is not the least like any countrywoman 
I've ever seen." 

Should I tell Dolly or not? No. 

"She's a physiological freak— she's a 
white crow! What business has she to 
feed pigs with those little taper hands? 
Tell me that!" 

For my part I was not disposed to tell 
her anything; Dolly had an active and 
eloquent tongue, an insatiable curios- 
ity, a world-wide correspondence. Why 
should I rake up old ashes, and pos- 
sibly embroil myself with Lord Morti- 
mer and his friends? Silence is golden. 
No, I would not speak. I would leave 
Lady Mary as I found her — to her 
wash-tub and her gate! She appeared 
to be perfectly satif6flfe<i^Kii.41|ftX8tate 
Digitized by 



330 



THE GAEU 



October, J903 



of life into which God had called her 
—and who was I that I should inter- 
fere? Nevertheless, I entertained no 
Bhadow of doubt as to her identity, and 
felt a profound conviction that . old 
Katie's story was true, after all! 



A Pcct On a Poet 

MR. GEORGE W. RUSSELL ("A. 
E") contributes to the "New 
York Reader" a note on the 
poetry of Mr. W. B. Yeats. It is al- 
ways interesting to hear a poet on a 
poet, particularly when both are of 
one nation and one period. 

"A. E." says: 

"I confess I have feared to enter or 
linger too long in the many-colored 
land of Druid twilights and runes. A 
beauty not our own, more perfect than 
we ourselves conceive is a danger to 
the imagination." That land of Druid 
twilight and rune is Mr. Yeats' partic- 
ular desire and inspiration, but his 
critic, or rather his appreciator, finds 
it too remote for his personal needs: 

"I am too often tempted to wander 
with Usheen in Tir-nan-n-Oge and to 
forget my own heart and its more 
rarely accorded vision of truth. I know 
I like my own heart best, but I never 
look into the world of my friend with- 
out feeling that my region lies in the 
temperate zone and is near the Arctic 
circle; the flowers grow more rarely 
and are paler, and the struggle for 
existence, is keener." 

A little later the writer says: 

"I am interested more in life than in 
the shadows of life, and as Ildathach 
grows fainter I await eagerly the rev- 
elation of the real nature of one who 
has built so many mansions in the 
heavens. The poet has concealed him- 
self under the embroidered cloths and 
has moved in secretness, and only, at 
rare times, as when he says 'A pity be- 
yond all telling is hid in the heart of 
love' do we find a love which is not 
the love of the Sidhe; and more rare- 
ly still do recognizable human figures, 
like the Old Pensioner or Moll Magee, 
meet us. All the rest are from an- 
other world, and are survivals of the 
proud and golden races who move with 
the old stateliness and an added sor- 
/ow for the dark age which breaks in 
upon their loveliness." 

In a word Mr. Yeats' world is a 
world outside and beyond that which 
is. It is beautiful, and mildly sad, a 
world of spirit and of dreams. 



Dcnvir^s Irish library» 

THE book of the month for Sep- 
tember in Denvlr's Irish Library 
is from the pen of Mr. John 
Denvir himself, and its subject is 
"Irish Architecture and Antiquities." 
It is full of interesting information, 
and is copiously illustrated. It will be 
found an exceedingly useful compila- 
tion, more particularly for the young 
people, whom Mr. Denvir's books are 
helping to interest in the history and 
literature of their country. Copies can 
be had from THE GAEL at 5 cents 
each. 




SHEPPARDS MODEL **z7g8.*' 

A Wexford Monument to the 
Men of 'n. 

WE give herewith a sketch of the 
'98 Memorial which the men 
of Wexford are about to erect 
in their historic town. It was decided 
that the Memorial should be a bronze 
figure of a young Irish peasant armed 
and ready. The work was entrusted 
to Mr. Oliver Sheppard, R. H. A., who 
has turned out a masterpiece. 

The statue was recently inspected in 
his studio, Pembroke Road. Dublin, by 
representatives of the '98 Association, 
and all were delighted with the art- 
ist's fine conception of a National 
monument. A plaster cast will next 
be taken, which will be sent to ai, 
eminent firm of bronze founders in 
Paris, and the monument will prob- 
ably be ready for the unveiling by St. 
Patrick's Day of next year. 

The statue is beautiful and artistic 
in the extreme, and expresses with 
marvellous eloquence the sad. brave 
«tory told by the solitary inscription 
the pedestal will bear--"1798." 



**T. P/S First Book.'' 

1 LITTLE knew when I started oat 
on the task what a gigantic basl- 
ness it was going to be. Indeed, 
the book nearly killed me. To it. per- 
haps, more than to anything else, I may 
attribute the success and reputation I 
began from Its publication to attain. 

It was bought at a price which few 
now would be able or willing to pay. 
In order to write the book I had to go 
through forty years of ''Hansard," and 
"Hansard" for one year usually con- 
sists of five or six big volumes. I had 
to read almost every line Disraeli ever 
spoke, whether it was at hustings at 
election times, or to his constituents 
during the Parliamentary vacations; I 
had to read all his own works — which 
amounted to something like a library 
in themselves; and, In short, I had to 
spend on this work almost as much 
time as would have enabled me to 
write a considerable history. 

All through this period I was so ab- 
sorbed that it was dlflicult for me to 
seek or to do any other work, with th« 
result that my entire income consisted 
of the occasional checks for five 
pounds which Mr. Beeton gave me. 
And the result was that I was in black 
poverty. 

Indeed, I was so poor part of the 
time that even paper was a considera- 
tion to me, and I was delighted when 
a friend of mine, who was a chemist, 
gave me large bundles of leaflets set- 
ting forth the merits of some plaster 
or ointment. These leaflets were print- 
ed on one side only; the other side I 
used for my manuscript. I was rath- 
er careless then in collecting anything 
associated with myself, and I don*t be- 
lieve I have the manuscript of a single 
book I ever wrote; but I did make an 
exception in the case of these chemical 
leaflets; I have preserved some of 
them still. 

They are in a drawer in my study, 
and now and then, when I am run- 
ning through my papers, I come across 
them. In a trice I can see again the 
scene In which they were written; the 
little parlor in the south of Ivondon. 
and the faces of my companions — 
some of them passed beyond these 
voices — and the feverish and killing 
work, with the curious sense that, af- 
ter all, the reward would come, soon- 
er or later, or that, at all events. I had 
begun a task, and could no more es- 
cape from it than the convict from his 
appointed doom. — T. P. O'Connor, In 
M. A. P. 



The Mono)?lot Englishman* 

THE incapacity of the average 
Englishman to express himself 
in any language save his own 
is due partly to lack of imagination, 
partly to a half-conscious belief that 
everything which is worth saying at 
all can be said in English fully as well 
as in any other tongue, and. very 
largely, because the absence of confi- 
dence in his mastery of any other 
idiom or accent makes him shy and in- 
disposed, as he would say, to "make 
an exhibition of himself.' 

Digitized by'" 



October, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



331 




^Persian'' Carpets Woven in Donegal* 




J. 



'HE brilliant 
rugs ard car- 
pets wi ^en by 
the deft fingers of 
women and girls 
in remote Persian 
villages after a 
method as old as 
Babylon, have al- 
ways been highly 
valued by those 
whose wealth en- 
ables them to grat- 
ify their taste for rare and beautiful 
things. 

Away in the wild mountain paeses of 
Donegal are Irish peasant girls who, 
with fingers as deft as those of their 
Bastem sisters and an eye for color 
even truer and more artistic, are able 
to produce on the self-same kind 
of loom as used in Persia, rainbow- 
tinted rugs and carpets which rival, if 
they do not surpass, in color and de- 
sign the products of the Oriental 
looms. 

Scattered thickly over these moun- 
tain wilds are the humble homes of a 
race unequalled, perhaps, in the world 
for their endurance, their patient and 
unrequited toil; for what can the 
wretched patches of barren, stony soil 
or of bog which constitute their hold- 
ings yield save the most miserable of 
crops? 

The virtue of these people is as item 
as the hills which surround their 
homes. Inured from childhood to pri- 
vation of all kinds, leadfhg lives of un- 
remitting toil, with none of the com- 
forts or pleasures which brighten life 
and lighten labor, yet clinging with 
passionate love to the land of their 
birth; such are these Donegal peas- 
ants, a grand people physically and 
morally, gifted in richest measure with 
all the best qualities of the Celt, but 
chained by the strong fetters of grim 
poverty. 

Of late endeavors have been made to 
develop a new field for their industry. 

AT KILLYBBGS. 

A factory has been established at 
Klllybegs by Scotch manufacturers for 
weaving ••Persian" carpets and rugs. 
The venture has been most successful, 
and large numbers of girls and boys 
are employed In the new Industry. 

The peculiarity of these carpets Is 
that they must be entirely made by 
hand and by the method which may be 



seen illustrated in the paintings on 
Greek vases more than 2,000 years o!d. 

The tufts or mosaics of small woollen 
squares are tied by the fingers in knots 
into longitudinal warps which are 
stretched between two long parallel 
beams. The design is placed in front, 
and the girls, varying in number ac- 
cording to the size of the carpet, as 
many as twelve, sometimes working at 
the loom, select the colors indicated, 
row by row; these are then tied and 
bound down by "shoots" of woollen 
weft drawn across the entire width, 
and beaten down by small heavy iron- 
toothed combs. 

These hand-tufted carpets are ex- 
quisitely beautiful. 

The girls employed at the work have 
displayed artistic skill, both a^ re- 
gards color and design, such as has as- 
tonished their instructors. 

The carpets can be made to any size 
and shape. Purchasers can. also, if 
they so please, have the carpets woven 
according to any design which they 
may select. 

The unqualified success which has 
attended the venture has encouraged 
the promoters of the industry to in- 
crease th<»ir efforts. They have planned 
to extend the industry all over the west 
of Ireland, thus affording profitable 
employment to hundreds of young 
people. 

FOR THE FARMERS' PROFIT. 

Another important feature of the 
new Industry is that it will give won- 
derful impetus to the rearine: of sheep 
by the Donegal farmers. The carpets 
are made entirely of wool, and it is 
part of the scheme that all the wool 
used in their manufacture shall be 
spun from the fleece of sheep reared 
in these mountain regions. 

It has been calculated that in a few 
years the fleeces of 10,000 score of 
sheep would be required annuallv. 

The factory at Klllybegs a^ords ac- 
commodation for more thau 400 work- 
ers, all living within a radius of two 
miles. 

Being situated on a branch line of the 
Donegal Rallwiy. and having an excel- 
lent harbor. Kil'ybegs has been chosen 
as the chief center of the industry. 

For those girls who live t'^o far aw«iy 
to attend a factory, a slmole arrange- 
ment has been contrived bv me^ins of 
which, after having learned the art, 
thev can take the frame looms away 



into the seclusion of their mountain 
homes. Who can tell how much the 
artistic instincts of these children of 
the mountains may be quickened by 
the magical effects of light and shade 
on those mighty peaks? 

One of the Donegal carpets was pr€^- 
sented to Queen Victoria on the occa- 
sion of her last visit to Ireland. King 
Edward has also been pleased to order 
five of them for the royal yacht, and 
some of these lovely carpets are also in 
Buckingham Palace. 

Wherever these beautiful production» 
are known they are highly appreciated* 
especially by lovers of things artistic. 
Orders have been received at Klllybegs 
from the highest decorative art critics 
in England and America. The Donegal 
"Persian" carpets have undoubtedly a 
most successful future before them. 

ERIN DOLLS. 

Another new industry which has 
sprung into existence in Ireland with- 
in the last few y«ars is the Erin doll 
industry, started by a clever Irishwo- 
man, who has discovered a method of 
making unbreakable dolls. 

Taking as her model various distin- 
guished personages, she faithfully and 
artistically reproduces their features. 
Difierent types of nationalities are also 
accurately reproduced. In every in- 
stance the utmost care and attention 
are paid to every detail of dress char- 
acteristic of the individual or type 
which it is sought to represent 

These Erin dolls are known far and 
wide, and are to be found In the nur- 
series of the highest in the land, the 
Princess of Wales being among the 
first to recognize their merit by pur- 
chasing some of those shown at the 
sale of Irish work held In London on 
St. Patrick's Day. 

So numerous are the orders received 
that it is almost impossible to keep 
pace with the demaud. Although all 
the features are modelled by one hand, 
the making of these dolls finds work 
for scores. — London Express. 



— Agitation for the removal of the 
statue of the Phoenix in the Phoenix 
Park. Dublin, is rife. It is said to be 
an obstruction to traffic. 



D"'*1 f » I »•• PI*«>C rt MBS WnirLOWo hootbm« 
STSmP 'nr V'V» C f4l'^> fihfl^«Mii*t'filr^tb It 
•on hm *h« ebiid M>ftmi9 tb^ iromr «naTs «n p«fii, 
eufvm «li.a «uiie. and to th« best Minedy for 
dlarriOM 



Digitized by 



Google 



THE GAEU 



October, I903* 




I. 

AT the high Court of Tara, Grania, 
The fairest woman of the younger world, 
Watched with wide eyes the azure distances 
For what should come: And by her side the Bard 
Waited and watched In silence for the sun 
To strike aslant the shining brim of helm, 
The gray-blue points of spears, the saffron cloaks. 
The golden throatlets of the cavaliers 
Who rode with Finn, the Tenian chivalry, 
For on that day was Orania to behold 
For the first time her lover and her lord, 
Finn, Cumars son, since so the word was passed 
'Twixt Finn and Cormac. 

Beautiful Granla, 
Poised on the hiirs high forehead, gazed afar. 
With wide bright Irish eyes as gray as glass, 
Looking along the valleys and the wold. 
As one who looks into a wizard's glass. 
And wonders, with a high, undaunted front. 
What shadowy visions of the yet to be 
Will dazzle in the crystal, for indeed 
The fate of Grania lay behind the trees 
Through which, or soon or late, the knights should ride, 
Escorting Finn, her lover and her lord. 
Whom she had never seen. 

Ah, fair she was. 
With such a fairness as our older world 
Scarcely conceives. Her beauty graced her youth. 
Her youth her beauty, with such sweet accord 
As makes life music. Her enchanting eyes. 
Whose gray depths never mirrored any man 
That would not gladly fling his life away 
To see them smile upon him tenderly. 
Now seemed most lovely in their grave regard 
Of all the wooded valleys; and her hair. 
Stirred by the softness of the summer wind. 
Trembled like living fire about a face 
That shamed all praise. Her white arms met 
Before her. with the fingers tightly clasped. 
As if some torment she would fain conceal 
Tugged at her very heart, and her sweet lips. 
Whose smile was life and death to love and hope, 
"Were firmly set as if some secret thoughts 
Were pent and strove for freedom. All erect 
She stood upon the forehead of the hill. 
Her queenly head held high, and as she stood 
The silent Bard beside her fixed his gaze 
Upon her perfect loveliness, as one 



Who longs to speak and still must keep his peace 
For very fear of what is yet to be. 

But in a little Grania turned her head. 

And looking on the Bard with troubled eyes 

And trembling lips, llRe petals which the wind 

Vexes at sea, asked him, speaking low. 

As if her very voice affrighted her 

With nameless fear, "How shall I know my lord 

When all the knights come riding up the hill?" 

And as she spoke her question died away 

Into a sigh, and still her troubled eyes 

Fearfully questioned her companion's face. 

While her lips quivered. 

Then the Bard replied: 
"Of all the lovers in this happy world 
Finn is the fairest, noblest, mightiest: 
Know him by that, for in the press of knights 
He shines alone, a moon among the stars. 
Larger and lovelier than his fellow-men." 

Then Grania, speaking quickly, asked again: 
"Is he not old, has not his hair grown gray; 
And how can such outshine his fellow-men. 
As Finn does in your praises?" 

And the Bard: 
"Age feareth Finn as all the heroes fear 
The son of Gumal. Age must hold aloof 
From such a matchless king; and for his hair. 
Enchantment may have woven some silver threads 
Among its midnight masses, nothing more; 
And still must Finn remain the pride of earth. 
The fiowcr of chivalry, the first of kings; 
Be sure, the fairest hero you behold 
Is Finn himself, your lover and your lord." 

Even as he spoke, and as she turned away 
With happier eyes, there came a gleam of gola 
Through the dark masses of the distant wood, 
And hollow, hollow, hollow through the hills 
A great horn sounded, blowing down the wind. 
And on the plain a goodly company 
Broke, riding swiftly, heading for the hill. 

II. 
In the great hall among the press of knights. 
The eyes of Grania resting eagerly 
Upon a hero taller than the rest — 
Or so he seemed — and fairer than the rest — 
For so he seemed to her — and mightier. 
And in the sunlight streaming through the hal] 
[jigiTizec. 



gle 



October, 1903* 



THE GAEL. 



333 



His hair aeemed sliglitly silvered, and her heart 
Beat with great hope, and to her soul she said: 
"Now this is Finn, my lover and my lord. 
And I the happiest woman in the world, 
For I shall love him while my life endures." 
And even while she smiled at that fair thought 
The chivalry divided, and along 
The shining lane of heroes Gormac came— 
Cormac the king— conducting hy the hand 
Finn, son of CumaL 

He was tall and strong 
As any oak that ever swept the skies. 
And on his noble face the hand of time 
Had traced few furrows. Any woman's heart 
Might welcome such a lover, such a lord. 
For never since the world began to be 
Did such a kingly presence gladden it 
But over Grania's heart stole such a chill 
As murders youth, and her unhappy eyes 
Stared blindly through a mist as red as blood 
Upon the king, and with a hollow groan 
She fell back fainting In her women's arms. 

III. 

Through the high hall where all the chieftains sat 
Carousing through the dusk, a woman passed. 
Soft-footed, silent, moving through the peers. 
And glancing swiftly on the face of each, 
As one who seeks and finds not, till she came 
To where sat Dermot with the younger lords— 
Dermot, the rose of Fenian chivalry. 
The stoutest swordsman in a warring world. 
The fleetest foot to follow up the chase. 
The matchless Dermot 

By his side' she paused, 
And whispered, "Follow me," and Dermot rose 
And followed, no man noting in the hall 
Where all were mad and merry, heeding naught. 
And so they passed through many a curtained door 
And many a dimly-lighted corridor 
Until they came into a garden close. 
And Dermot's forehead felt the evening wind. 
And here the woman left him, saying, "Stay." 

IV. 

In that dim garden, with a beating heart, 

Dermot delayed. The trembling large-boughed trees, 

Quivering their full leaves in the evening wind. 

Girdled him round like shadows of the dead. 

And half he fancied he had dipped between 

The golden gates of life, and stood alone 

In the dream-kingdom where the heroes go 

After their hour is spun; so still it was 

In that green comer of the world, so still. 

So deeply drowned in darkness and in peace, 

That Dermot, dizzy with the wassail late. 

Troubled by visions of a haunting face 

First seen that day, perplexed by this strange tryst, 

Half wondered if he dreamed in very truth; 

But with the thought there came a silken sound. 

The stir of fairy feet across the grass. 

And through the close between the darkling trees 

A woman swiftly came, and Dermot saw 

The face of Grania in that hollow placet 

And Grania, looking lovingly in his eyes. 

Spoke, and her voice came weaker than the wind. 

That died away among the sighing leaves: 

"Dermot I lay this law upon thy life. 

That thou must be my lover and my lord. 

Because I love thee as no woman yet 

Loved or shall love until the world be dead. 

As we shall die, who bUII before we die 

May taste delight; ah, love me, pity me 

That am not faithless, neither false of heart. 

But most unhappy, being pledged to Finn 

And loving Dermot" 

With a bitter waU 
Her voice broke, and she sobbed with tearless eyes, 
While Dermot wondering, stretched his hand to her, 



And would have spoken, but she caught his hand 
In both of hers and clasped it desperately. 
And spoke again before he found his speech. 
And told him of her error— how she deemed 
That he was Finn, the noblest man on earth, 
And gave the love she could not give again. 

V. 

What fairer legend lingers than the tale 

Of Grania's love and Dermot's agony. 

And how the lords of Fenian chivalry 

Bade him accept love's blessing and love's bale; 

And how the lovers fled o'er hill and vale, 

Striving in vain against their destiny, 

Till at the last Finn's vengeful eyes might see 

The noblest hero lying cold and pale. 

The world has changed since that fair tale was told, 

But still in the enchanting Irish tongue 

And duller alien speech the song is sung. 

That tells of love which never waxeth old, 

And hero-deeds by which men's hearts are wrung. 

Until the hot blood of the world grows cold. 



Robert Emmet* 

(Hanged and beheaded, September 20th, 1803.) 

IN Dublin City one September day— 
Ah me, how fast a hundred years will run! — 
A dastard deed in Thomas Street was done, , 

A deed whose memory hath not passed away; 
For there, begirt by troopers in array. 
Upon a ghastly scaffold in the sun, 
Toung Emmet, Ireland's best-beloved one. 
Went forth the forfeit of his life to pay! 

Dead, aye, he's dead. A century of years 
Have dropped their blossoms on his grave since then. 
Have made the grasses green above his head. 

And yet not dead. Let us forget our fears; 
No martyr like to him can die while men 
Have hearts to feel; or women tears to shed! 

-DENIS A. MCCARTHY. 



Maureen* 

OYOU plant the pain in my heart with your wistfnl 
. «yes, 

^ Girl of my choice, Maureen! 
Will you drive me mad for the kisses your shy, sweet mouth 
denies, 

Maureen? 

Like a walking ghost I am, and no words to woo, 

White rose of the west, Maureen? 
For it's pale you are, and the fear that's on you is over 
me, too, 

Maureen? 

Sure it's one complaint that's on us, asthore, this day 

Bride of my dreams, Maureen; 
The smart of the bee that stung us his honey must core, 
they say, 

Maureen? 

I'll coax the light to your eyes, and the rose to your face, 

Maureen, my own Maureen! 
When I feel the warmth of your breast and your nest Ik 
my arm's embrace, 
Maureen! 

O, where was the King o' the World that day— onjy me? 

My one true love, Maureen! 
And you the Queen with me there, and your throne in my 
heart, machree,- 
Maureen! 

-^OHN TODHUNTBR. 
Digitize^ 



334 



THE GAHL 



October^ 1903. 





HE Coal-fields of Castle- 
comer, as they are gener- 
ally known, cover an 
area of about 400 square 
miles. They are sur- 
rounded by railways, the 
nearest of which does not 
come within eight Irish 
miles of the pit, and the 
cost of cartage from the 
pit to this railway is 
about 6s. 8d. per ton, thus adding that 
amount to the price of the coal before 
it can be placed on rail to compete 
with English or Scotch coal. The 
coalfields of Castlecomer have the 
great disadvantage of not being very 
accessible. 

Their discovery was purely acciden- 
tal. It appears they are now working 
for 175 years, and the knowledge of 
their existence was brought about 
through the fact of a number of men 
being employed raising iron ore, which 
is very prolific in this district Hav- 
ing worked out the ore in one district, 
the workmen came suddenly upon a 
seam of coal. Pits were opened in 
various directions, and coal has been 
found in great abundance ever since. 

In the year 1801 the coal mines of 
Castlecomer were brought under the 
notice of the Government of the day, 
and a grant was made by the Board of 
Inland Navigation of a sum of £40,000 
towards the construction of a canal to 
connect Castlecomer Mines with Mon- 
asterevan, and thus bring the coal to 
the midlands of Ireland. 

Through some unknown cause it hais 
never been constructed, and on many 
occasions since the people of this dis- 
tricts made various efforts to get rail- 
way connection, undergoing heavy ex- 
penses in having several suggested 
routes mapped and levelled. All these 
efforts fell through on account of the 
Great Southern and Western Railway 
directors not taking up the project. 

At the present time a strong and 
united request is being made to the 
Government for a grant out of the De- 
velopment Fund, and the people ex- 
pect that they should get at least the 
amount which was voted the district 
before, but which was not expended— 
namely £40,000— in aid of a light rail- 
way to the collieries, and if this 
amount be granted the remaining 
amount necessary to complete the line 
will be forthcoming. 

A survey of the mines was made by 
Griffith in 1814, and a further survey 
was made by the Geological Society in 
1879. The survey showed three work- 
able seams, but since then, and quite 
recently, Mr. R. H. Prior- Wandesforde, 
II • owner of the estate, has made bor- 



ings underneath the above seams, and 
it is considered that the result is quite 
satisfactory, and further brings to 
light a mineral wealth of vast import- 
ance, and we understand he is at pres- 
ent putting down two more bore-holes 
to prove the extent of this deep, or 
Skehana seam. 

Mr. Wandesforde has had experi- 
ments made of the gas-generating 
properties of the coal, and the report 
from the Athlone Woollen Mills Com- 
pany is a proof of the valuable quali- 
ties of the coal as gas-producer. 

For malting purposes. Professor 
Nardman, Fellow of the Chemical So- 
ciety, etc., made a careful analysis of 
the Castlecomer coal, as well as the 
best (anthracite) Welsh coal as im- 
ported into Dublin, and in his report 
on them made the following compari- 
sons: One ton of Jarrow (Castlecom- 
er) coal evaporated 2,934 gallons of 
water at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 
while the same quantity of Welsh coal 
will evaporate only 2.512 gallons, so 
that 16^ cwt of Castlecomer coal is 
equal to 20 cwt. of Welsh, whereas for 
lasting power in an ordinary fire the 
Castlecomer coal bums twice as long 
as the Welsh. 

All over Ireland a wave of industrial 
revival has set in, but in no part of 
Ireland Is there a greater need for 
same than In the Castlecomer district 
of North Kilkenny, and in no part of 
Ireland are the means so available; 
and, notwithstanding that fact, it is 
saddening to think of the large num- 
bers of young and old who have left 
the district within the past thirty 
years, as will be seen by a comparison 
of the population according to the cen- 
sus return of 1871, and that of 1901: 

Population of the Castlecomer dls^ 
trict In the year 1871, 14,302; popula- 
tion of Castlecomer district In the year 
1901, 10,114; reduction in population 
during the past thirty years, 4,188 
souls. 

The collieries are turning out about 
80,000 tons of coal annually, and em- 
ploying about 600 miners, but the 
present output would be very consid- 
erably increased, and the number of 
hands earning money much multiplied, 
if a connection be made with one of 
the existing lines of railway, and in 
addition to the increased employment 
given in this locality, all the outlying 
districts would be very much benefited 
by having the native coal delivered at 
a rate in fair competition with the 
imported article. It is believed the 
demand for the coal for malting pur- 
poses and for gas generating purposes 
under the new patent would be much 
increased. 



In the course of a letter to the Urbao 
Council of Kilkenny, Mr. Patrick 
O'Brien, the popular and energetic 
member for Kilkenny city, in pledging 
his strongest support to the railway 
project wrote: 

"I would suggest, as a good prelimi- 
nary to seeing the Chief Secretary, 
that a deputation should see Mr. Hor- 
ace Plunkett, as head of the Agricul- 
tural and Industrial Department, to 
help the work. Industrial develop- 
ment is the principal duty of the Agri- 
cultural and Industrial Department 
'lo get facilities for distributing Cas- 
tlecomer coal all over Ireland by 
means of the railroads of the country, 
from which it is now cut off. is of the 
first importance. I may say that I had 
a short and hasty conversation a few 
days ago with Mr. Plunkett on the 
subject, and I believe that he will be 
found, when properly approached on 
this matter, ready to give the move- 
ment all the available help of hia De- 
partment" 

Early in the seventies of the last 
century two gentlemen from England 
came to Castlecomer in search of the 
iron ore which they had aBcertafned 
existed in Castlecomer district. They 
required the ore for the pur[)os(* of 
purifying gas. Calling at the housa of 
a professional gentleman in Castle- 
comer. he gladly drove them to Glen- 
muUen Wood, a place about a mile out- 
side the town, and showed them stones 
laden with the ore laying on the sur- 
face. 

They were thoroughly satisfied 
with the ore and had contract papers 
in their possession for several thou- 
sand tons of the stone, but on learn- 
ing the added cost which the cartage 
of the stone or ore to the nearest rail- 
way station would be they were de- 
barrecT from entering into any contract 
with the proprietor, and thus another 
great Industry was choked for want of 
rail facilities 

Mr. J. B. Dobbs, the popular lessee 
of the Jarrow seam, has done his ut- 
most to develop the mines, and give 
employment, but the want of transit 
facilities has always retarded his ef- 
forts to develop them in the way he 
would wish, but now there has arisen 
an united demand from all the local 
authorities in county Kilkenny, sup- 
ported by strong and widespread feel- 
ing among all classes of the com- 
munity for fair treatment for this im- 
portant industry, and the hope is 
strongly entertained that the Govern- 
ment will accede to the request of the 
public, and give the grant looked for 
in aid of a light railway for the mines, 
and place the collieries in a position 
to compete with the imported article, 
and properly develop the Castlecomer 
coal industry. 

A great seam of coal also exists in 
the southwestern portion of Co. Kil- 
kenny but has never been worked. Be- 
ginning near New Ross it extends a 
good distance into the mountainous 
country. It was also said that an out- 
cropping of anthracite had been found 
on Carrlckmourne Hill, near Thomas- 
town. 



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Bf Matrd Howard Peterson* 




CHAPTER I. 

iTTE was an Irishman, blue 
ri eyed and thirty-seven. 
* * His hair was black and 
^ thick on his head, but 
rm showed glimpses of gray. 
L# He was six feet; an all- 
jjK 'round good fellow; a 
j^V^ gentleman born, and a — 
f ^ riding master. 

That he was of gentle 
birth, went without 
question. How he be- 
came one of the instruc- 
tors at the big New York 
riding academy was the 
wonder. 

Time, however, did not 
appease his associates' 
curiosity. Few ever 
heard him speak of his 
home and kin, and per- 

Í^ haps none knew of the 

y existence of a vine oov- 

«. ered, century old manor 

house, overlooking the 
waters of Killarney, where an old man 
still waited trustingly, as did the 
prodigal's father, for the return of 
this, the wildest but dearest of his 
sons. 

"There's a new pupil for you to- 
morrow at eight," said the manager, 
looking up from his ledger, as the 
Irishman sauntered in one hot after- 
noon. 

O'Brien leaned against the window 
ledge and proceeded slowly to draw off 
his riding gloves. 

"Man or woman?" he asked. 

"Woman." 

"By Jove, if she's like that one, I'll 
throw up my Job," he whispered trag- 
ically, glancing toward a girl who tip- 
ped the scales at a hundred and sev- 
enty, and who was Just leaving the 
academy; "Jerry's the strongest ladies' 
horse we've got, and even he stagger- 
ed under her." 

The clerk laughed good naturedly. 
There was something Irresistible in 
O'Brien's soft voice. 

"She isn't She's slender and rather 
pretty and bright. She came yester- 
day to see about lessons. Asked 
whom I would recommend and I stdd 
you." 

"Ah!" 

O'Brien tapped his boot thoughtfully 
with his whip. He was wondering if, 
after all, this sort of life paid. He 
was glad he was to leave town In 



three weeks. He disliked the city in 
Summer. 

"It was good of you, Smithson, to 
recommend me," he said presently, 
"but you'll have to find some one else 
to teach the young lady after the 
seventeenth. A class has been offered 
me at Westhampton." 

Smithson looked up. 

"I'm sorry for that, and she'll be 
eorry, too," he said. "She set her 
heart on having you, since I told her 
what an Al rider you are." 

"Just as I haven't set my heart on 
her," laughed O'Brien. "I suppose 
she's like all the rest of these Ameri- 
can girls," he added presently; 
"mighty nice to a man if he's ticketed 
and labeled and bears the mark of ap- 
proval from a titled somebody, but 
unbending as Iron where there's not a 
formal introduction." 

O'Brien's voice had a bitter ring be- 
neath the soft tones. Smithson 
glanced at him In surprise. 

"I think," he said, thoughtfully, 
after a pause, "I think, O'Brien, you'll 
find her a bit different from the rest 

CHAPTER II. 

And the next morning it poured. 
When O'Brien entered the riding aca- 
demy it was five minutes past eight 

"Of course, my new pupil liasn't 
come," he said confidently. 

Smithson looked up with a quizzi- 
cal smile. 

"Of course she has," he answered. 
"She's been here since ten minutes be- 
fore. I told you she was different 
from the rest" 

He rang the bell connected with 
the stables as he spoke. 

"Miss Maury's and Mr. O'Brien's 
horses," he called through the tube. 

They were presently led forth by 
the groom and stood a living illustra- 
tion to the circular that declared them 
to be "mild, gentle and safe." 

Mechanically O'Brien followed the 
clerk to the door of the ladies' parlor. 
He was as well trained as the horses 
in this matter of introduction. 

"Mi'5S Maury, your horse Is waiting 
and this is Mr. O'Brien, of whom I told 
you." 

A tall girl in a black riding skirt, 
black shirt waist and derby, stepped 
out, looked straight Into O'Brien's 
Irish blue eyes and smiled. 

"I am so glad to meet you, Mr. 
O'Brien," she said cordially. 



O'Brien smiled in sympathy. Un- 
doubtedly Smithson was right She 
was different from the rest 

"Have you ever ridden before. Miss 
Maury?" he asked, pausing by the 
horse she was to mount. 

"Long ago, when I was a child," she 
said, laughing, "but not since. I want 
you to polish me up a bit- Indeed, I 
almost feared I've forgotten first prin- 
ciples." 

He assisted her to mount, arranged 
her skirt, adjusted her stirrup, sprang 
on his own horse and motioned her to 
follow him Into the deserted ring. And 
then a new era and a new life opened 
for O'Brien. 

It was perhaps something in the 
proud carriage of her head that first 
attracted him. It was his deference, 
his soft Irish accent, and his Irish 
eyes that held the charm for her. 

The hands of the great clock moved 
slowly around the dial and yet no men- 
tion was made that the lesson was 
coming to a close. He found her an 
apt pupil, who asked pardon for her 
mistakes, much as she would have 
done of a friend, instead of a paid 
master. They discussed horses and 
dogs, America and foreign politics. 

"Now take the Irish, for instance," 
she said, looking innocently at him, 

"that poor, weak, down-trodden " 

He caught her eye, and she nodded her 
head. "Tes, I know," she went on 
with a smile; "you couldn't hide your 
nationality even if you wished. Now, 
Just look at you all; for years trying 
to get Home Rule. You mustn't think 
I don't admire your King; I think he's 
one of the most Judicial, tender, manly 
of men that live; but you see, I'm a 
thorough democrat and don't believe 
in kings." 

"And yet in some ways, we're more 
democratic than you Americans." he 
answered, looking straight ahead of 
him between his horse's ears; "we 
never pass anybody on the road in Ire- 
land, even the poorest peasant, but we 
say 'Good morning,' or 'Good day.' Pve 
been three years in a boarding house 
on Fifty-first Street, and there Isn't a 
soul I know to speak to." 

"You mustn't Judge all of us by the 
New Yorkers," she said gently, her 
quick car noting the weary notfl: "the 
people here are all in such a rush they 
haven't much time to be friendly." 

She did not add, "with riding mas- 
ters," but she thought it 



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"Now, down ftouta,^ Bne continued, 
"it's much the same as in your coun- 
try. There, one and all, from the 
plantation owner down to the blackest 
little boy, exchange greetings." 

"You are from the South?' 

The words were out before he was 
aware of it She looked at him and 
•miled. 

**I was born there and reared there 
until I was seven," she said simply. 

He almost hoped she would say more 
and yet he was glad that she did not. 
This girl, with her winning manner 
and the proud carriage of her head, 
evidently knew Just how far to go. 

She had been cordial to him; more 
•o than any woman had been to him 
in this strange country, and yet she 
never seemed to let him lose the con- 
sciousness that she was his pupil and 
he her riding master. 

It hurt him to-day as it had never 
hurt him before, and he fell silent 

He helped her to dismount, saw her 
gather up her long cloak, and walk 
away. Her "Thank you for a pleasant 
ride" was still ringing in his ears 
when he went into the office to re- 
port 

"Miss Maury seems very nice" re- 
marked Smithson, looking up. 

O'Brien lifted his head. There was 
something in the gesture that made 
one think of Miss Maury. 

"She's a thoroughbred," he said be- 
low his breath, and turned away. 

CHAPTER ni. 

O'Brien waited with a strange im- 
patience, at which he himself won- 
dered, for Miss Maury's second ride. 
But it was not until two weeks later 
that he managed to tell her he left for 
Wosthampton the next morning to be 
gone two months. 

"I'm so sorry," she said. "By that 
time all my tickets will have been 
been used." 

"Couldn't you buy more?" he plead- 
ed reproachfully. 

Mi^s Maury laughed and brushed a 
fly from her horse's neck. 

"I'm afraid not These were a pres- 
ent, and there aren't enough pennies 
in my little tin bank for others." 

"Can't you save a few tickets until 
my return?" 

Miss Maury smiled. 

"There are mighty few as it is," she 
said, "but perhaps I can manage to re- 
serve a couple." 

She struck her horse into a gallop. 
He followed close behind. 

"I think I saw a comb or something 
fall from your hair," he said. 

She put up her hand. 

"It's my little bow that I always 
wear," she began. 

He dismounted, swung the bridle 
over his arm and began to search In 
the soft brown tan. Miss Maury walk- 
ed her horse close to his. 

"You know that's a pretty serious 
thing for a girl to lose," she added 
floberly. 

He glanced up and she met his merry 
Irish eyes and they both laughed. 

"No fear of losing that when I'm 



around," he said, laying the lost ar- 
ticle in her outstretched hand. 

He looked at her fearfully, as if 
dreading a rebuke, but to-dayshe was 
transformed. 

"You are an Irishman through and 
through," she said, "even to kissing 
the Blarney stone." 

He swung himself on his horse. 

"I've never been near it in my life," 
be protested. "Why, do you know you 
have to crawl on your knees to it?" 

'*What a lot of trouble for anything 
so unresponsive," she said, thought- 
fully. 

He could not see her eyes, but he 
knew they hid a smile. 

An hour later when Miss Maury en- 
tered the empty hall of her own home, 
she walked deliberately over to the 
mirror above the low mantel and look- 
ed at herself reproachfully. 

"Sarah Tazewell Maury," she began, 
addressing the reflection opposite, 
"you've behaved disgracefully. You've 
flirted with a riding master, you ridic- 
ulous girl. It's a wonder that all the 
Shades of the Randolphs and Skjp- 
withs and Carters didn't descend in a 
body and gobble you up, before his 
very eyes; yes, it Is! You've flirted 
and you ought to be ashamed of your- 
self, but you're not That's the dis- 
couraging part about you; you're never 
ashamed when you should be!" She 
shook her head gravely at the reflec- 
tion. 

"Of course, I acknowledge, Sarah, 




THB RIDING MASTER'S PAVORITB 
PUPIL. 



that you had some provocation in thai 
soft voice and those Irish eyes. And 
then he's going away. Of course, 
Sarah, you wanted to leave a good im- 
pression. You wouldn't be a woman 
if you didn't! And think of being 
three years in a boarding house and 
not knowing a soul to speak to! That's 
pretty hard, Sarah. I grant you. too. 
he's undoubtedly a gentleman. I flat- 
ter myself you have enough discrimi- 
nation for that but still he's a riding 
master, and riding masters " 

Some one entered the hall and Miss 
Maury turned from the mirror. 

"Why, Henry!" she exclaimed, 
"what on earth are you doing here 
this time of the morning?" 

"You needn't give a fellow such a 
blamed cool kind of a greeting, when 
you haven't seen him for two weeks," 
rejoined the young man, in an injured 
tone. 

"Two days, you mean," briskly cor- 
rected Miss Maury. "You haven't an- 
swered my question." 

"Things are what they seem. Well/* 
he went on, comfortably settiing him- 
self in a chair, "principally to see you. 
and incidentally to borrow one of 
uncle's law books. I wonder where he 
is. I'm in a big hurry." 

"He's where he ought to be, down 
town," snapped Miss Maury, "do you 
wish me to bring the library to you 
or are you going to it?" 

Henry smiled coolly. 

"Do you know that rig isn't half un- 
becoming?" he said. 

"Thanks, but I've been told It was 
exceedingly so." 

Henry sat bolt upright in his chair. 

"By that cad of an Irish riding mas- 
ter, I suppose," he growled. 

"Nothing of the kind. He's a gen- 
tleman, and doesn't make personal re- 
marks,' sniffed Sarah. 

Her visitor rose wrathfully. 

"I see through his littie game," he 
began; "he's trying to make you be- 
lieve that he is what he is not He's 
trying to " 

Miss Maury looked at him calmly. 

"That's enough, Heury,' she said 
pleasantly; but there was a dangerous 
angle to her chin that should have 
warned her visitor. He did not see it. 
however, and rushed straight on to 
self-destruction. 

"He's a great posing, sneaky for- 
eigner, who thinks just because you're 
a girl and an American, he can say 
what he pleases, ril teach him a 
thing or two, and that he'd better not 
infringe on my preserves!" 

"If you mean me, you can reserve 
your strength and take that last re- 
mark back. I'm not your preserves. I 
never have been and what Is more — " 

"But, Sally " 

"And what is more, I never shall be, 
and I'm tarter than you think, and 
some day you'll find it out to your sor- 
row," Miss Maury went on. with a fine 
disregard for her English. 

"I'd like to get a chance to try," 
muttered Henry below his breath, 
looking at her mouth that was smillnf 
in a way to drive a man crazy. 

Miss Maury rose and with a laugh 



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THE GAEL. 



337 



rushed across the hall to him like an 
animated young whirlwind. Her foot 
tripped in her long skirt and she 
would have fallen if her cousin had not 
caught her. He held her for a mo- 
ment, while she tapped him on the 
arm. 

"Henry, you're so foolish about some 
things/' she said. 

He let her go suddenly. 

"Yes," he said, with a queer little 
catch in his voice, "sometimes hope- 
lessly foolish, I think, about some 
things, Sally." 

After he had gone and Miss Maury 
had changed her dress, she sat down 
on the edge of a lounge and leaned for- 
ward with her chin in her hands. 

"Now, here are two men," she said 
aloud, in a precise, Judicial way, as 
though addressing a court, "the name 
of the first is Henry Venable Nelson, 
and he's 'blood' and a cousin and a 
successful lawyer and he has fine prin- 
ciples and Is very clever — so every one 
says; and he's in love with me. The 
other's name is Dermod O'Brien" — 
Miss Maury sighed profoundly — "and 
he's an Irishman and a riding master, 
and he's evidently fond of horses, and 
horses are risky and a temptation, and 
while he's a gentleman, he may -drink. 
I've heard horses and drink, well, al- 
most always went together, and I'm In 
love with — his eyes and his accent." 

There was a long silence. She lifted 
her chin and looked straight ahead of 
her thoughtfully. 

"I'm a very unhappy girl," Mies' 
Maury said, plaintively. 

CHAPTER IV. 

It would be difficult to say just the 
effect that last ride produced on 
O'Brien. His own mind was in a very 
chaotic condition during the rest of the 
day, and that night, when he got back 
to his own room, in the boarding 
house, he flung himself wearily into a 
chair and stared into the empty grate. 

He never remembered feeling so 
hopelessly lonely in all his life, except 
perhaps the morning when years and 
years ago his father had come into the 
nursery, lifted him out of his little 
bed. and told him that his mother had 
died in the night. 

Even then he had been conscious cf 
the sustaining strength of that fath- 
er's arms — that father whom he had 
left in his old age, to come to this 
strange land alone. He had outgrown 
the simplicity of the great home over- 
looking Killarney; he was restless and 
wanted to "see life." 

He had seen his money melt beneath 
his touch and had found himself 
stranded in New York. He was too 
proud to go home, even to ask for help, 
and he had turned his one and only 
accomplishment to practical use. He 
had never felt the humiliation of it as 
he felt it now. In all his life he had 
never so longed for any thing as he 
longed to go to her and proudly say: 

"See, my race, too, extends back in- 
to the shadows of the past— a proud 
race of warriors, statesmen, sages; I, 
the very least worthy of them all. Yet 
I am your equal by birth, by breeding 



and by my university training. I am 
fit to be more to you than your riding 
master!" 

"Was he fit?" the question came 
back to him. 

True, he had never won money by 
dishonest means; in that he had been 
beyond fear and beyond reproach. He 
stretched out his arms on the table 
and leaned his head upon them. 

"Colleen bawn," he murmured, "oh 
colleen bawn." 

CHAPTER V. 

When O'Brien returned in Septem- 
ber the lessons were resumed. Miss 
Maury had improved greatly and the 
old secret of handling her horse, lost 
since her childhood, had come back to 
her two-fold. He remarked on it. 

"I fear Mr. Caswell has proved a bet- 
ter teacher than I could be," he said, 
"or that you must have used nearly all 
your tickets." 

"I have only ridden with i»ir. Cas- 
well four times," she said briefiy. 

"But " 

"But I was home, down South, for 
three weeks, and rode then." 

"You won't need me any longer, I'm 
afraid." 

"To give me leaping lessons — yes." 

The old charm in her bad not faded 
for him; had not 
been an illusion 
of his brain, as 
he had thought it 
might. The old 
charm of the soft 
voice in him did 
not pall on her. 

The coupons on 
the ticket were 
reducing week by 
week. Only two 
were left. She 
pleaded with him 
to have the 
groom raise the 
bar one point 
more, 

"I'm afraid 
that horse you're 
on can't take it," 
he remonstrated. 

"Let me con- 
vince you that he 
can," she begged 
and smiled into 
his eyes. 

He drew his 
own horse silent- 
ly to one side and 
watched. He saw 
her reach the 
hurdle, saw the 
horse balk and 
her determina- 
tion to conquer. 
Three times she 
tried. The fourth 
the horse rose, 
his hind feet 
catching in the 
bar, which, by 
some chance, did 
not yield. The 
next. Miss Maury 
was sitting in the 
middle of the 



ring with a bewildered expression on 
her face. The groom ran to her, but 
O'Brien fiercely pushed him to one 
side. 

"Are you hurt?" he asked. 

"To be sure, I'm not That is, ex- 
cepting my pride. There isn't even 
anything romantic about it/' she add- 
ed, plaintively. 

He laughed a laugh of sheer relief. 

"Bring the horse around," com- 
manded Miss Maury of the groom. 

"Don't try it again," O'Brien begged. 

"And let that beast think he's got 
the best of me?" 

O'Brien smiled. 

"You're a born horsewoman," he 
said. 

He helped her to remount The 
groom set up the bar and Miss Maury 
took the hurdle in great style. 

O'Brien applauded, and as she helped 
her off, gave her unstinted praise. She 
suddenly lurched forward. 

"I've hurt my back," she whispehed, 
with white lips, "but I wouldn't give in 
until I had made that horse obey." 

CHAPTER VI. 

Those were weary úsljs that follow- 
ed. Miss Maury had not been hurt seri- 
ously, but the bruise needed time and 
patience in healing. In the first excite- 




•THIS IS MY MR. O'BRIEN?" 8HB BXCLAIMBD. ^ 

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ment relatlvefl and friends crowded 
around her, but on finding out that 
only rest was needed to make her well 
again, one by one dropped off and left 
her to the hardest period of an illness, 
the convalescing. 

The maid reported that a dark-hair- 
ed, blue-eyed gentleman had called 
daily until the surgeons reported that 
the injury was not dangerous, when 
his calls ceased. .He had never given 
his name nor had he asked to come 
Inside. 

Her pale cheeks had flushed as the 
maid proceeded. There was something 
in this mute devotion that appealed to 
her more strongly than even Henry's 
daily visits. 

Weeks after, when she was herself 
again, she went to the academy under 
pretext of seeing about having her sad- 
dle repaired. 

"Glad you are about again, Miss 
Maury," Smlthson said cordially; 
"that was an ugly fall you had." 

"Yes," she made answer. 

"O'Brien never said a word, but he 
seemed dreadfully cut up about it Tou 
were his prize pupil, you now." 

Miss Maury smiled; then asked in- 
differently: 

"By the way, how is he?" 

"I haven't heard since he went 
away," replied Smithson, making out 
her receipt. 

"Gone away?" 

"Yes, to Ireland, you know.' 

Miss Maury folded the bit of paper 
carefully. 

"Thanks. No, I hadn't heard." 
. "He didn't say much on leaving, but 
he seemed very much excited. It's my 
opinion there must be some attraction 
there." 

Miss Maury forced herself to smile. 

"I hope he will be happy," she re- 
plied. 

Then she went home. 

CHAPTER VII. 

The long weeks dragged themselves 
away. Miss Maury had lost her inter- 
est in riding. She said it was because 
her tickets were exhausted. She went 
off on two or three visits and returned. 
She did not seem to be able to settle 
to anything. 

One afternoon in late November a 
maid brought her a letter and a card. 
She looked at the former first There 
was something In the handwriting that 
made her think she had seen it before. 
She opened it and read: 

CoUooney Castle, Ireland. 
November 3d, 1898. 
My Dear Miss Maury: 

This will introduce Mr. Dermod 
O'Brien, a friend of mine, who is about 
leaving for America, and who, on his 
arrival, will present, this note to you. I 
do not know him personally very well, 
but his cousin. Lord Kilmallock, is my 
husband's most intimate friend. He 
is the grrandson of the old Lord Kil- 
mallock, of whom you have doubtless 
heard. He tells me he has been in 
America before, but has few friends 
there. Any kindness that you may be 
able to extend to him will be a per- 
_sonal favor to us. Sincerely, 

Mary Hamilton CoUooney. 



She glanced at the card and read— 
"Mr. Dermod O'Brien." 

"The gentleman is waiting In the 
parlor," said the maid respectfully. 

"Tell him I will be right down," 
Miss Maury answered. 

The letter of introduction had come 
as a thunderbolt She had almost for- 
gotten she had ever had a friend who 
had married and settled in Ireland. 
She read it through again. 

She went down stairs, walked to the 
parlor and drew aside the portiere. A 
tall man rose from a corner of the 
room. It had grown dusky and she 
could not see his face. 

"Is this Miss Maury?" 

The words had a little amused ring 
and an Irish accent 

"It is my Mr. O'Brien!" she exclaim- 
ed as she extended her hand in wel- 
come. 

"I hope so," he said suggestively. 

She grew confused and lost her nat- 
ural aplomb. 

"Won't— won't you sit down?" she 
faltered. 

She rang for lights, and then for the 
first time she saw him tLS he really 
was. The old genial smile, the old gen- 
tle deference, the Irish eyes and the 
soft voice was still there, but added to 
them was the assurance and new dig- 
nity that had come to him with the 
knowledge that at last he was meet- 
ing her on her own ground. 

"Shall we begin formally," he asked, 
"as if we had never met before, or— 
otherwise. 

"Otherwise," she said smilingly. 
"Now tell me, what you have been 
doing since I last saw you?" 

He looked into the burning coals in 
the grate. 

"Sometimes," he said thoughtfully, 
"I think the gods are kinder than 
many of us deserve. I have often 
dreamed of meeting you like this, and 
sitting here in your own home. It 
seemed a very remote possibility a few 
months back. I don't think it was ex- 
actly false pride, and yet— I wanted 
you to know." 

She did not pretend to misunder- 
stand him. 

"I never doubted," she said simply. 

He looked at her and smiled. 

"One day there came to me a letter 
from my father in Ireland, telling me 
a childless uncle had died, leaving me 
his sole heir. I didn't believe it at first 
— these things are hard to grasp, I 
think. They always occur in novels, 

you know, but rarely in real life " 

He paused and looked again into the 
coals. 

"I went home and I appreciated 
what a dear old country Ireland ir 
after all, as I never appreciated it be- 
fore." 

"But you came back?" 

"Yes," he smiled. Then asked irrel- 
evantly, "You still ride?" 

"Seldom." 

"You will take a turn with me to- 
morrow in the park?" 

"I should be very glad to." 

He rose and held out his hand. 

"I'll not detain you longer. I will 
see to the horses. Shall it be at four?" 



O'Briefi walked his horse slowly by 
the girl's. At last he reached out and 
laid his hand gently on the pommel of 
her saddle. 

"Colleen bawn!" 

The whisper stole out on the still- 
ness of the dying day and came ba^ 
to her like a caress. She did not look 
at him, but off toward the network of 
bare trees. 

"One could tell you were of Irish 
birth," she said with a little lau^h. 

"And yet it was to America that I 
had to come to find my queen!" 

It was then she looked at him and 
read the rest of the untold story In his 
eyes. 

"I think," Miss Maury said after a 
pause. "I've changed a bit myself." 
She was recalling the answer she had 
given to cousin Henry the night be- 
fore. "I don't altogether approve of 
your home rule." 

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Williams & Butland (wholesale agents) 

47 Little Britain, London, B. C. 
Robert Thompson, 5 Tudor St, Black- 
friars, London 
Conlon & Co., 5 Crosshall St, Liver- 
pool. 
Thomas McGlynn, 80 Wards St, 
Hulme, Manchester. 

SCOTLAND. 
Mr. Kelly, 154 Saltmarket, Glasgow. 
James Kinsella, Bank St, Coatbridge, 
Lanarkshire. 

FRANCE. 
Mme. Lelong, Kiosk, 10 Boulevard des 
Capucines, Paris. 

AUSTRALIA. 
M. E. Carey, 106 Sturt St, Ballarat 
P. F. Ryan. 324 Hay St, Perth, West 
Australia. 

SOUTH AFRICA. 
H. BuUen, Port^lizabeth, Ca>pe Col- 
ony. 
Digiti: 



miien, rort niiizaDecn, uap 
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October, I903* 



THE GAEL^ 



339 





The Gaelic League* 

i T a recent meeting of the Pub- 
lication Committee of the 
Gaelic LfCague, Dublin, the 
Committee had under con- 
sideration the starting of a 
collection of MSS. and rare 
printed books, and made recommenda- 
tions to the Coisde Gnotha to provide 
suitable accommodation for its safe 
keeping. 

Mr. O'Donoghue offered his services 
as custodian of the collection pro tem, 
and it was suggested that he should 
publish a description and index of the 
MSS. in the "Gealic Journal" as they 
come in. The Committee had three 
MSS. before them, and authorized Mr. 
O'Donghue to enter into negotiations 
with a view to their purchase. 

It is intended to publish fac-similes 
of the rarer and more valuable writ- 
ings, while the whole collection may 
be used by bona fide students. A first 
subscription of £5 to be devoted to this 
purpose was received from Mr. Dix. 
Those desirous of helping the Commit- 
tee in this work are invited to send 
their subscriptions to Mr. Stephen Bar- 
rett, Treasurer Gaelic League, Dublin, 
who will acknowledge them through 
"An Claidheamh Soluis." 

Arrangements are about to be made 
for the publishing of a series of four- 
part harmonies in the tonic sol-fa no- 
tation, and the Secretary was instruct- 
ed to communicate with a competent 
musician on the matter. 

Relative to a communication receiv- 
ed from the Irish Texts Society, Lon- 
don, the Committee forwarded a 
recommendation to the Coisde Gnotha 
to advertise the society's Irish-Eng- 
lish Dictionary as widely as possible in 
the League's papers, and to use all the 
powers of the organization to assist 
the society in publishing the work. 

The plan of the proposed book of 
surnames was carefully considered, 
and the Secretary was instructed to 
communicate the Committee's views 
on the matter to the compiler of the 
volume. 

The Committee are in a position to 
announce that the rewriting of the 
O'Growney series of Simple Lessons in 
Irish will be taken in hand at the end 
of a few months. The lessons will 
first appear weekly in "An Claidheamh 
Soluis" In order to afford an opportu- 
nity to Leaguers throughout the coun- 
try of pointing out possible errors and 
offering suggestions during the prog- 
ress of the work. 

Final arrangements for the bringing 
out of "An Cruttire," Mr. Owen Lloyd's 
collection of traditional Irish airs, ar- 
ranged for the harp, and Mr. Thomas 
Hayes' original story, "An Gioblach- 
an," were made. These two important 
works may be expected immediately. 



Qcely Rcifly. 



THERE was scarcely room for two 
on the stile. 
So we didn't sit far apart: 
I'm sure, while I stammered my love, 
she could hear 
The guttering beats of my heart! 
The stars peeped out, the cool breeze 

came, 
• And roguishly kissed the rye, 
But still we sat on that old oak stile. 

My own little lassie and I, 
Cicely. Cicely, dear little Cicely, 
Cicely Reilly and I. 

Cicely's father has farms galore; 

And what would he say if he knew 
That his daughter, the pride of his 
heart, and I 
To each other had vowed to be true? 
I scarcely know: but I dread to think 

Of our interview by-and-by. 
For I reckon we both have tempers 
quick. 
Cicely's father and I. 
Anthony, Anthony, dour-faced An- 
thony, 
Anthony Reilly and I. 

But who can resist my Cicely's voice, 
And the glance of her eloquent eyes? 
Not Cicely's father. When Cicely 
pleads 
He cannot resist if he tries. 
And so I have hopes the paternal con- 
sent 
And the blessing will come by-and-by; 
If not we must marry without them, I 
guess. 
Sweet Cicely Reilly and I. 
We're both of one mind on the mat- 
ter, I find. 
Cicely Reilly and I. 

— W. J. CROSBIE. 



THE Dublin "Leader" has this 
to say about the American 
Irish: 
"The 'patriots' in America who blus- 
ter hatred of England and revel in 
sunburstry and Tin Pikery. but never 
come over here with their money and 
their skill, when they possess them, to 
help in nation-building, are responsible 
for a lot of the emigration. They 
'patriotically' send over the passage 
money, that enables a full-grown man, 
raised at Ireland's expense, to make a 
present of himself to America. • ♦ 
The Irish -Americans, as a class, are 
not good to Ireland. ♦ ♦ The Irish 
in America to-day, taking them as a 
class, are the enemies of Ireland. They 
keep tbeir money and their skill and 
themselves over there, and they draw 
off a portion of our population every 
year. They, or some of them, oUy at 
Irish patriotism, as the' crowd go t ) a 
melodrama — it gives them 'thrills." 
The sooner Ireland turns its back to 
America, as well as to England, the 
better." 



An Irish Rose* 

BEAUTY belongs by right to the 
Emerald Isle. For centuries 
past — from the days of the 
Gunnings downward — the women of 
Ireland, both gentle and simple, have 
been noted for their charms and 
graces. And the reigning Lady Lim- 
erick fully maintains the traditions of 
her race. She was Miss May Burke 
Irwin, daughter of Mr. Joseph Burke 
Irwin, of Stelleen House, Drogheda. 
and married Lord Limerick— then 
Lord Glentworth— in 1890. 

It is said that this was a case of love 
at first sight, and that as soon as the 
young heir saw the lovely girl he de- 
termined to make her his wife. They 
married, and there are two children— 
a little Lord Glentworth, aged eight, 
and Lady Victoria Mary, a charming 
child now ten years old. The family 
place is Dromore Castle, Limerick, and 
the young Countess spends much of 
her time in Ireland at her own home 
or in Dublin. 

Lady Limerick is of medium height, 
with dark, silky hair, a brilliant com- 
plexion, and lovely eyes of a deep vio- 
let color, shaded by long dark eye- 
lashes. Her features are small and 
straight, of a somewhat classical out- 
line. In the evening she often wears 
white, trimmed and garlanded with 
her favorite shamrock, and on her 
head a high, round crown of diamonds, 
which shows to great advantage on 
her wealth of dusky tresses. 

Music is one of the chosen occupa- 
tions of her life. She is a brilliant 
pianist, composes well and has studied 
in Paris under the guidance of Pader- 
ewski. At one time she rented a 
pretty appartenumt not far from the 
Arc de Triomphe and spent many 
hours of the day in diligent practice 
and in lessons from the famous pro- 
fessors. 

The three best society pianists of 
the moment are Mrs. George Comwal- 
lls-West. Mrs. Clifford Cory and Lady 
Limerick — the last perhaps first In her 
mastery of the instrument. Her sis- 
ter. Miss Burke Irwin, has also musical 
talent and is an accomplished violin- 
ist. — Mainly About People. 



Anti-Emigration Society» 

AN association to combat emigra- 
tion, and especially emigration 
from the Irish -speaking dis- 
tricts, has been organized in Dublin 
under the title of the Anti-Emigration 
Society. 

As a large portion of the initial work 
of the new Society will be the collec- 
tion of exact and detailed information 
on the subject, persons interested 
throughout the country are invited to 
become correspondents of the Society 
and to communicate with the Honor- 
ary Secretary, 6 D'OUei; Street, Dublin. 

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340 



THE GAEL. 




Meagher's ''Sword Speech/' 




|HE following extract 
Is taken from the 
speech delivered by 
Thomas Francis 
Meagher, in Con- 
ciliation Hall, Dub- 
lin. July 28th, 1846. 
It was part of an 
argument for the 
purpose of consid- 
ering deliberately 
whether any gentleman could con- 
tinue to be a member of the Repeal As- 
sociation who entertained the opinion 
conscientiously that there were occa- 
sions which Justified a nation in re- 
sorting to the sword for the vindica- 
tion of Its liberties. 

Mr. Meagher was Interrupted by 
John O'Connell, who stated "that it 
was the strongest conviction of his 
soul that it would not be safe to let 
him (Mr. Meagher) proceed." Smith 
O'Brien, Meagher, Dillon and others, 
left the meeting, and afterwards form- 
ed the Irish Confederation. 

« « # «r « «r 

"But, my Lord, I dissented from the 
peace resolutions before us, for other 
reasons. I stated the first. I now 
come to the second. 

"I dissented from them, for I felt, 
that, by assenting to them, I should 
have pledged myself to the unqualified 
repudiation of physical force in all 
countries, at all times, and under every 
circumstance. This I could not do. 
For, my Lord, I do not abhor the use 
of arms in the vindication of national 
rights. There are times when arms 
will alone suffice, and when political 
ameliorations call for a drop of blood, 
and many thousand drops of blood. 

"Opinion, I admit, will operate 
against opinion. But, as the honorable 
member for Kilkenny (John O'Con- 
nell) has observed, force must be used 
against force. The soldier is proof 
against an argument — but he is not 
proof against a bullet The man that 
will listen to reason — let him be rea- 
soned with. But it is the weaponed 
arm of the patriot that can alone pre- 
vail against battalloned despotism. 

"Then, my Lord, I do not condemn 
the use of arms as immoral, nor do I 
conceive it profane to say. that the 
King of Heaven — the Lord of Hosts! 
the God of Battles! — bestows his bene- 
diction upon those who unsheath the 
Bword in the hour of a nation's peril. 

"From that evening, on which, in 
the valley of Bethulia, he nerved the 
arm of the Jewish girl to smite the 
drunken tyrant in his tent, down to 
this our day, in which he has blessed 
the Insurgent chivalry of the Belgian 
priest. His Almighty hand hath ever 
been stretched forth from His throne 
of Light, to consecrate the flag of free- 
dom — to bless the patriot's sword! 



Be it in the defence, or be it in the 
assertion of a people's liberty, I hail 
the sword as a sacred weapon; and if, 
my Lord, it has sometimes taken the 
shape of the serpent and reddened the 
shroud of the oppressor with too deep 
a dye. like the anointed rod of the 
High Priest, it has at other times, and 
as often, blossomed into celestial flow- 
ers to deck the freeman's brow. 

"Abhor the sword — stigmatize the 
sword? No, my Lord, for in the passes 
of the Tyrol, it cut to pieces the ban- 
ner of the Bavarian, and, through 
those cragged passes, struck a path to 
fame for the peasant insurrectionist of 
Inspruck! 

Abhor the sword— stigmatize the 
sword? No, my Lord, for at its blow 
a giant nation started from the waters 
of the Atlantic, and by its redeeming 
magic, and in the quivering of its 
crimson light, the crippled colony 
sprang into the attitude of a proud 
republic — prosperous, limitless, and in- 
vincible! 

"Abhor the sword— stigmatize the 
Hword? No, my Lord, for it swept the 
Dutch marauders out of the fine old 
towns of Belgium — scourged them 
back to their own phlegmatic swamps 
— and knocked their flag and sceptre, 
their laws and bayonets Into the slug- 
gish waters of the Scheldt. 

"My Lord. I learned that it was the 
right of a nation to govern herself — 
not in this hall, but upon the ramparts 
of Antwerp. This, the flrst article of 
a nation's creed. I learned upon those 
ramparts, where freedom was Justly 
estimated, and the possession of the 
precious gift was purchased by the ef- 
fusion of generous blood. 

"My Lord, I honor the Belgians, I 
admire the Belgians, I love the Bel- 
gians for their enthusiasm, their cour- 
age, their success, and I, for one, will 
not stigmatize, for I do not abhor the 
means by wL*ch they obtained a Citi- 
zen King, a Chamber of Deputies." 

The Vatican. 

THE Vatican, in which the Con- 
clave of Cardinals assembled, 
though commonly spoken of as 
a palace, is rather a series of palaces. 
It stands on one of the famous seven 
hills to the west of Rome and the 
Tiber, and north of the Janiculura. It 
did not even always form part of the 
city. 

The palace, as it now exists, is in 
three stories, contains twenty courts. 
13,000 apartments, eight grand stair- 
cases, and 200 smaller ones. Unhap- 
pily there is no exterior facade. The 
foundation of the Vatican is lost in 
antiquity, and bears traces of all styles 
of architecture, culminating in that of 
the Renaissance. 



October, Í9GÍ. 
The Tragedy of Robert Em- 
met 

MR. MICHAEL M'DONAGH hu 
contributed a remarkable ar- 
ticle under this heading to the 
September number of the "Comhill 
Magazine." The story of the Enune: 
insurrection is told in an entirely new 
light, for Mr. MacDonagh has had ac- 
cess to original correspondence in th« 
British Museum, now available for in- 
spection for the flrst time, in whidi 
Lord Hardwicke. the Viceroy, In 18(S 
conveyed "private and confidential" in- 
formation to the Government of the 
outbreak, and of Emmet personally. 

The romantic episode of Sarah Cur- 
ran has been treated In an origiaal 
manner, in view of the correspondence 
now for the flrst time disclosed. John 
Philpot Curran is also bt-ought into 
Mr. MácDonagh's article in a singular- 
ly striking light. 



Í 



OR TWERTY-HVE CEITS 



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THE GAEL 

'' Hie Leading Irish iiagngine m Ameriai/* 

to the attention of new patrons a frUi 
subscription three months for twenty-Jive cen^ 
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before subscribed to this magazine. 




Any person who has never before sub- 
scribed for this mag^azine will receive (upon 
sending us one dollar) THE GAEL for the 
months of October, November and December 
this year, and also during the twelw 
months ending with December next year. 
1904. Fifteen months in all. 

Old subscribers can of course, pay at 
this special rate for friends to whom ihey 
may desire to present the magazine in an 
endeavor to make them acquainted with the 
excellent literary and historical matter 
contained in THE GAEL each month, but 
we will not accept renewals of their own 
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THE GAEL, 
1 40 Nassau Street, New York. 

JUSTIN MCCARTHY, the well-known 
historian and author, will tell In 
a coming number of Harper's 
Magazine of many of the English 
statesmen and literary men whom he 
has known. His article will include 
his personal reminiscences of Dickens, 
Thackeray and many others equally 
famous. 



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October, Í903, 



THE GAEL. 



34Í 





Investigation to Determine the 
Burial Place of Robert Emmet 




By Thomas Addis Emmet, M* D. 



OR a year or more pre- 
vious to the centen- 
ary of Robert Em- 
met's death the writer was 
the recipient of a number of 
communications from wide- 
ly (lifTerent portions of the world. 
\ urging that steps should be taken 
to detprmiae accurately his burial 
place aud it was held the initiative 
could only be made by the family. 
The writer had already made the at- 
tempt, in 1880, to begin such aú investi- 
gation at Glasnevin but had met with 
so discourteous a response from the 
Rector at that time as to render him 
unwilling to place himself again 
in a false position. 

It happened by good fortune 
the writer was last winter in 
correspondence with Mr. Francis 
Joseph Bigger, the editor of the 
Ulster Archaeological Journal of 
Belfast, and other friends in Ire- 
land and by them it was repre- 
sented the difficulties supposed 
to exist were in all probability 
exaggerated. 

In addition, David A. Quaitl, 
Esq., a noted solicitor of Dublin, 
presented me at the time with a 
copy of his ad'mirable work 
"Robert Emmet," in which he 
presents an accumulation of evi- 
dence to show that Emmet's re- 
mains were at some time placed 
in the family vault, St. Peter's 
Church-yard, Dublin. This view 
was so In accord with my own 
convictions that I determined to 
act. 

This decision was hastened bv 
the promised assistance of 
Messrs. Bigger and Quaid. With- 
out further delay a personal ap- 
plication through them was 
made by me, as the representa- 
tive of the family, early in the 



present year to obtain the necessary 
I)ermission for beginning the investi- 
gation at St Peter's and, as I resided 
in New York and Mr. Bigger in Bel- 
fast, the work in detail was placed In 
Mr. Quaid's hands. 

At the beginning of the investigation 
it became evident the examination 
would be confined to three places — the 
family vault, St. Peter's Church-yard; 
the uninscribed grave in St. Michan's 
church -yard, which had for years been 
accepted by a great portion of the Irish 
people as the hallowed spot; and, fin- 
ally, to open the uninscribed^ grave in 
Glasnevin parish church-yard. 




ROBERT EMMBT. 



After some delay all obstacles were 
removed. Mr. Bigger's influence was 
most important at the beginning, the 
indefatigable energy of Mr. Quaid ad- 
vanced the undertaking in detail, and 
finally, success was achieved by the co- 
operation of Mr. G. F. Fuller, architect 
of the Representative Church Body. In 
fact I fully realize that, without the 
earnest co-operation of this gentleman 
difficulties, which were easily overcome 
by his aid, would otherwise have been 
almost insurmountable. On the report 
of these gentlemen it is but a just tri- 
bute to acknowledge the great courtesy 
and consideration shown by. all in au- 
thority, from his Grace the 
Archbishop, the Church authori- 
ties of St Peter's; with the good 
wish of the rector, the Rev. Mr 
Mahaffy and during his absence, 
the valuable co-operation of his 
assistant the Rev. Mr. Robinson 
Before entering upon the re- 
port of the examination made, 
the reader* should gain a knowl- 
edge of some other details. 

At the close of the eighteenth 
century the Emmet family of 
Dublin resided on ' Stephen's 
Green, West, and Lamb's Lane, 
near the corner of York Street 
adjoining the present College 
of Surgeons, where the house 
still stands, though having un- 
dergone some alterations. 

The parish church was St. 
Peter's fronting on Aungier's 
Street According to a map used 
by "The Wide Street Commis- 
sioners" between 1790 and 1800. 
the plot of the church-yard may 
be described as a parallelogram 
obliquely truncated on the west 
boundary. Aungier's Street run- 
ning north and south, the north 
boundary being at a right angle 
and extending to Peter's Row or 



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342 



THE GAEL^ 



October, 1903. 



White Friars Street and this thorough- 
fare intersected the plot by an oblique 
course from N. W. to S. B., taking off 
a good portion of the length of the 
south wall, which was parallel to the 
north one. The church at that time 
occupied the middle third of the plot 
in the shape of a parallelogram extend- 
ing east and west with an addition to 
the north of an incomplete transept ex- 
tending nearly to the north wall. 

At a later period and subsequent to 
1860 a similar addition to the church 
was made southward to complete the 
shape of the cross. At one time out- 
side the south wall of the yard extend- 
ed Church Alley, from Aungier's to 
White Friars Street, which seems to 
have been partially built upon. In the 
southeast corner on Aungier's Street 
and the Alley stood a watch or guard- 
house built over the church property to 
the depth of twenty-two feet and this 
building was In use before the begin- 
ning of the last century but was re- 
moved after 1830. 

There exists no known map to indi- 
cate the exact locality of the Emmet 
family vault and the only clue is given 
by Dr. Richard R. Madden in "The 
Lives of the United Irishmen," etc.. 
and in the second edition published 
previous to 1860 Dr. Madden records 
the death and burial of Dr. Robert Em- 
met as follows: 

"Dr. Emmet died at Casino, near Mil- 
town, in the autumn of 1802. He was 
buried in the graveyard of St. Peter's 
Church in Aungier's Street, on the 
right hand of the entrance close to the 
wall on the south side." 

If my memory is correct it is stated 
in the "Sham Squire" that the Emmnt 
burial-place was in the southeast cor- 
ner of the graveyard, which would 
have been close to the rear of the old 
guard-house, and the author of this 
work probably made the statement 
from his own knowledge. Dr. Madden 
further records that the stone covering 
the tomb' or vault had the following in- 
scription on it: 

"Here lies the remains of 

Robert Emmet, Esq., M. D., 

Who died the 9th of December. 1802, 

In the 73d year of his age." 

In 1880, the writer was unable to 
find the vault or the covering, bearing 
the inscription among the head-stones 
of the different graves which were at 
that time laid in piles along the walls 
of the yard. On inquiry it was ascer- 
tained that the completion of the tran- 
sept to the south had been made a few 
years previously and, as all interments 
had then been prohibited by law, the 
surface of the ground had been cover- 
ed in from five to six feet with earth 
along White Friars Street to the level 
of Aungier's Street. 

At the present time the tomb and 
head-stones, which the writer examin- 
ed in 1880 and which were then placed 
one on the top of another, are now se- 
cured upright against the outer walls 
of the church and the enclosure with a 
few laid on the surface of the ground 
at random, for there existed no guide 



to indicate their proper position with 
any relation to the old graves or 
tombs. 

Dr. Madden described the stone 
which covered the Emmet vault as a 
large flat one, and, as it was not found 
among those said to be all which had 
been disturbed, it was thought, in 1880, 
that the tomb had been simply covered 
in with the earth used for levelling the 
surface of the yard. 

After enclosing a portion of the 
southeast section of St Peter's church- 
yard by a high board fence, at an early 
hour on Monday morning July 6th last 
in the presence of Messrs. Bigger, 
Quaid, Fuller, the Rev. Mr. Robinson 
the assistant curate of St. Peter's 
Church, Mr. Robert Emmet my son, 
myself, the contractor and a number 
of laboring men, a wide trench was 
opened extending along the south wall 
of the yard westward for twenty-eight 
feet. In this space a vault, eight feet 
long and eight feet and a half wide, 
was uncovered, besides two detached 



graves bricked in as single vaults, 
which were not opened. 

The large vault occupied the sup- 
posed location of the Emmet burial- 
place in the southeast corner of the 
yard close to the south wall and about 
ten feet west from the remains of the 
foundation of the guard-house. The 
excavation was thus extended from the 
uncovered foundation of the guard- 
house along the south wall until the 
line of the west wall of the new por- 
tion of the transept had been reached 
and across nearly to the south wall of 
the church. 

This exposed a concrete surface of 
from eight to twelve inches thick, 
which had been laid over the original 
surface of the ground after the head 
and foot-stones, with some of the cov- 
erings of the vaults, had been removed 
and on this was placed the earth used 
to fill in, the depth increasing towards 
the west. This uncovered vault pro- 
jected above the surface of the concrete 
and its top was but a few inches below 




SUPPOSED QRAVE OP ROBERT EMMET IN^ST. MICHAN'8 CHURCHYARD, DUBLIN. 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



October, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



343 



In a work Just publislied by G. P. 
Putnam & Sons^ New York, "Ireland 
under English Rule, a Plea for the 
plaintiff/' I have detailed at some 
length In the Appendix my reasons for 
believing that Robert Emmet's body 
was finally placed with the remains of 
his father, mother, brother, sister and 
other relatives in the family burial- 
place but to enter on any consideration 
of this subject would be out of place 
here. 

At my request Mr. Fuller took charge 
of my application to make the explora- 
tion in St Michan's Church-yard and 
on his report I beg to acknowledge my 
thanks for the courtesy and prompt- 



the present surface of the yard. It was 
opened at each end, to expedite the ex- 
amination and to remove the necessity 
for disturbing the contents, and In ad- 
dition the concrete and refuse filling in 
the original stone steps were cleared 
away so that a depth was reached near- 
ly to the level of the vault floor. 

The vault contained four coffins, two 
of which were in a fair state of pre- 
servation; on two of these were coffin- 
plates bearing different names and 
from the dates it was thought that 
these bodies were among the last bur- 
led before the prohibitary law went 
Into operation and the conclusion was 
reached that this had been the receiv- 
ing vault of the church. After 
a search of five days nothing 
was found in connection with 
the Emmet family. The vault 
was carefully closed but before 
filling in the trench where the 
concrete had been removed, at 
different points the ground be- 
neath in every direction was 
sounded by means of an Iron 
bar introduced to a depth of 
several feet. 

It was the opinion of all if 
another vault had been below 
it would certainly have been 
found by this means, while in 
no instance were the remains 
In any grave dusturbed nor even 
reached by the iron bar from 
above. It is proper to state 
during the whole time of ex- 
ploration Mr. Quaid or Mr. 
Robert Emmet, with one or 
more of the other gentlemen 
present at the beginning, at- 
tended and directed the work. 

On the following day, aftr.r 
completing the search first un- 
dertaken, Mr. Robert Emmet, 
thinking an additional explora- 
tion might be in accord with 
Dr. Madden's statement, direct- 
ed that another trench be ex- 
tended along the south wall of 
the church to the right of the 
church entrance but nothing 
was found. The only conclu- 
sion to be drawn from this in- 
vestigation Is that, if other 
vaults were formerly situated 

in tills portion of the church- ^g^^^ „^sk qfrobert emmet taken by dr 
^? ?;. the tops, with a portion shortly after the execution. 
of the side walls must have 




been broken down and the 
vaults then filled in. The broad 
stone which Dr. Madden described as 
covering the Emmet vault must have 
been buried elsewhere, after the de- 
struction of the vaults or it certainly 
would have been found by means of 
the Iron bar and, as a proof of this 
supposition, one large fiat stone with 
the Inscription perfect and portions of 
broken ones were found which had 
been used to fill In with. 

The earnest effort to find the Emmet 
family vault in St. Peter's Church-yard 
was not pursued simply for the purpose 
of determining its site, however grati- 
fying such a result might' have been, 
but in the firm belief that If it ever 
be found the final resting-place of Rob- 
ert Emmet will be demonstrated. 



NOW IN 
SESSION OP DR EMMET, MADISON 
AVENUE. NEW YORK 

ness with which the needed permission 
was granted. The charge of this ex- 
amination was but a just tribute to Mr. 
Fuller who had felt justified, on the 
testimony collected by him, in the be- 
lief that this spot was the burial-place 
of Robert Emmet. As a distant con- 
nection, through the Mason family, of 
Robert Emmet's mother, Mr. Fuller 
long cared for this grave which he had 
enclosed and covered with a mable slab 
bearing only the inscription — "Septem- 
ber 20th, 1803." 

After my departure from Dublin this 
unlnscrlbed grave was opened on Sat- 
urday, August 3d, 1903. In the presence 
of Messrs. Fuller, Quaid, two church- 
warders of the church, and others. Be- 



fore the excavation had been completed 
Sir Lambert Ormsby, M. D., the Presi- 
dent of the Royal College of Surgeons, 
Dublin, attended, and to him was sub- 
mitted for examination the remains 
here found, after they had been photo- 
graphed. It was decided best to obtain 
the services of Professor Alec Fraser 
In addition before the examination was 
made and. In accord with this agrree- 
ment, on the following day these gen- 
tlemen attended and their conclusion 
was so readily reached that the re- 
mains were soon replaced, the grave 
refilled and the original unlnscrlbed 
stone was put back In the same place 
it had occupied so many years. 

Mr. Fuller had also discover- 
ede in the receiving vault un- 
der St Michan's Church a skull, 
having a piece of crape tied 
around it to hide the eye cavi- 
ties. It has been believed by 
many that the elder Petrie had 
carried Emmet's head away to 
take a plaster cast and that Pe- 
trie did not return with it until 
after the coffin containing the 
body had been removed by tie 
Rev. Mr. Gamble of St. Michan's 
Church, from the Gate House 
at Bully's Acre on the night jf 
Emmet's execution. 

With a knowledge of this tra- 
dition and that in this vault it 
was supposed the Rev. Mr. 
Gamble had deposited for some 
time Robert Emmet's body, the 
possibility suggested Itself that 
this might be Emmet's skull 
which Dr. Madden or some oup 
else knowing Its history had 
placed there. On being submit- 
ted, however, to the judgment 
of the above-mentioned gentle- 
men. It was decided at once 
that the skull could not have 
been that of Robert Emmet. 

Before the reception of the 
report of these gentlemen my 
son, Mr. Robert Emmet, who 
had a medical training, and I 
reached the same conclusion 
from a careful Inspection of the 
photogrraphs sent us of this 
skull and our testimony Is of- 
fered In corroboration. 
The following reports I have 
pos received from these gentlemen 
and I wish to express my sin- 
cere thanks not only for the 
sonal favor but for the great 
service rendered by them to the public 
in determining beyond question that 
this unlnscrlbed grave, so long cher- 
ished as the hallowed spot, does not 
contain the body of Robert Emmet. 

REPORT ON THE SKELETON AND 
OTHER BONES SUBMITTED TO ME 
FOR INSPECTION IN ST. MICHAN'S 
CHURCH-YARD, DUBLIN, BY MR. J. 
F. FULLER, F. S. A., ARCHITECT, 
AND MR. DAVID A: QUAID, SOLICI- 
TOR, AUGUST 3D, 1903: 

ON Monday, August 3d, I met by 
appointment at 4.30 P. M., both 
the above named gentlement, 
and they submitted to me for my in- 
spection and opinion several human 



5" 344 



THE GAEL. 



October, J903. 



bones taken out of a grave which was 
alleged to be that of Robert Emmet, 
who it was alleged was placed in tnis 
grave some time in the year 1803. 

The skull that was submitted to me 
I immediately stated was the skull be- 
longing to an aged man and could no": 
have been that of Robert Emmet, who 
had not reached his 25th year. The 
lower Jaw fitted the skull and in my 
opinion belonged to the same person. 
In addition to these bones and which 
were found in the same grave were 
portions of a parietal bone of the skull 
of a young child, and portions of ribs 
of same. I stated to the above two 
gentlemen that I would far prefer, be- 
fore I gave a definite opinion and re- 
port in writing, to have every bone that 
could be found in the grave removed 
therefrom and placed in order on a 
flat slab so that I could examine the 
skeleton as a whole and then compare 
accurately each bone separately of the 
skeleton submitted. Accordingly on 
Tuesday, August 4th, at the hour of 5 
o'clock, I again attended at St. Mich- 
an's Church-yard, being accompanied 
by Prof. Alec Fraser, F. R. C. S., Pro- 
fessor of Anatomy, Royal College of 
Surgeons in Ireland, in order that he 
should act with me in this important 
and far-reaching investigation. We 
then carefully examined the skull, low- 



er Jaw, vertebrae, and long bones of 
the limbs taken out of the grave and 
laid out in order as directed by me 
and we had no hesitation in saying 
that the skeleton belonged to an old 
man and one who must have been at 
least six feet in height and therefore 
could not possibly have belonged to 
Robert Emmet, who was a young man 
of short stature. I am therefore of 
opinion that Robert Emmet could not 
have been interred in this particular 
grave In St. Michan's Church-yard. I 
also certify that another skull was sub- 
mitted to me which I was informed 
was found in the vault under St Mich- 
an's Church by itself, and for the same 
anatomical reasons already stated I 
adjudge that the individual to whom it 
belonged died at an advanced age. 
(Signed) LAMBERT H. ORMSBY, 

M. D., F. R. C. S., Kt, 
President Royal College of Surgeons, 
Ireland. August 12th, 1903. 

REPORT OF PROFESSOR ALEC. 
FRASER, PROFESSOR OF ANAT- 
OMY, ROYAL COLLEGE OF SUR- 
GEONS IN IRELAND: 

HAVING been asked by Sir Lam- 
bert H. Ormsby, President of 
the Royal College of Surgeons 
in Ireland, to inspect and give my op- 
inion upon certain remains in the 



church-yard of St Michan's, Dublin. I 
went there at 5 P. M., on the 4th of 
August, 1903, and in his, and in tbe 
presence of two other gentlemen, was 
shown. 

First, a skull with lower Jaw, the lat- 
ter though separate belonged to the 
same head. From the absorption of 
the alveolar arches of the upper Jaw 
bones, the partial disappearance of the 
cranial sutures, and from other charac- 
teristics, there was no difficulty in de- 
ciding that these belonged to the head 
of an aged male. 

Second. Spread out on a slab, were 
seen the bones of the trunk, and of the 
fore and hind limbs, almost complete. 
There was no difficulty in determining 
from the length of the long, and the 
size of the trunk bones, as well as from 
other features that these belonged to 
a man over six feet in height There 
were also seen here a few human 
bones which had belonged to a female 
skeleton and also some bones from the 
skeleton of an animal. 

Third. A second skull was examined 
and there was little difficulty in con- 
cluding that it also was from a male 
past the meridian of life, although not 
so aged as the first skull shown. 
(Signed) ALEC ERASER, 

Professor of Anatomy Royal College of 

Surgeons, Ireland. August 22d, 1903. 




8UPP08BD GRAVE OP ROBERT EMMET IN THE PROTESTANT CHURCH-YARD AT GLASNEVIN. THE UPRIGHT 
HEADSTONE INDICATES THE GRAVE WHICH HAS BEEN PARTLY BUILT OVER BY THJ&^ 

WALL SHOWN TO THE RIGHT. ^^. .,. , , f 

Digitized by 



Google 



October, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



345 




RECENTLY the supposed grave of 
Robert Emmet in the Glaaneyln 
Parish Church-yard has been 
built upon by enlarging the chancel to 
within a foot and a half of the unin- 
scribed head-stone. 

Through fear of injury to this build- 
ing the authorities have been unwilling 
to grant permission for opening this 
■npposed grave to the full length, as a 
pathway nearly to the former rear of 
wall of the church extended across the 
nninscribed stone which was placed to 
Indicate the head and direction of the 
grave. 

September 1st last, Mr. David A. 
Qnaid undertook an exploration within 
the limits permitted by the authorities 
mnd to the depth of six feet without 
finding any remains. I have no faith 
In the claim that Robert Emmet was 
buried at Olasnevin, but I regard the 
restricted exploration as being too in- 
complete to be accepted as a final set- 
tlement of the question. 

Fortunately this may not be so 
necessary as I have in New York an 
original letter written previous to 1880 
by the Rev. Mr. Carroll, the former 
rector, to Dr. Madden, in which he 
states distinctly that when he was 
placed in charge of the parish he at- 
tempted to clean up the graveyard 
which had been open and neglected for 
years. A number of head-stones had 
fallen and had been displaced. Many 
of these he set up wherever he found 
space and this particular nninscribed 
stone, which has for years been sup- 
posed to mark the grave of Emmet, he 
claims he placed there himself having 
found it in a path around nearly In 
front of the church. 

This letter was given to me by Dr. 
Madden Just before his death with oth- 
er papers connected with my disagree- 
able experience in 1880 and he had evi» 
dflcUy forgotten Its existence. I made 
at the time but a casual examination 
of the contents which seemed to relate 
to an Incident which I did not care to 
recalL I had forgotten the circum- 



stance until this letter was accident- 
ally found by me Just before leaving 
home, among a mass of papers which 
had been laid aside. As my visit was 
made to Ireland for the purpose of 
opening this grave, if possible, to ob- 
tain the only iiositive proof, I did not 
consider the letter of any special 
weight at the time. On my return. If 
the examination at Olasnevin has not 
been completed I will send a copy of 
this letter for publication that the 
statement of the Rev. Mr. Carroll may 
be taken for what it is worth. For my- 
self, while I have no pleasant recollec- 
tion of his courtesy, I have too much 
respect for his calling to doubt his 
veracity. 

In conclusion I can but express my 
great disappointment in many respects 
but, as a whole, the investigation has 
not been without profit and I am well 
satisfied that every effort has been 
made to obtain a successful result By 
exclusion, the claims of St Peter's are 
increased but the question remains as 
much of a mystery as before. The 
only solution rests in the hope that, 
through agitation of the public press, 
some forgotten document or corre- 
spondence may be brought to light by 
which positive information may be ob- 
tained as to the final resting place of 
Robert Emmet. 

Justin McCarthy Pensioned* 

A CIVIL List pension of £250 a year 
has been granted by the Prime 
Minister to Mr. Justin McCarthy 
In recognition of hie services to litera- 
ture. 



A Very Useful Potato* 

IRISH farmers are interested in the 
advent of a potato which defies 
frost, and has edible foliage. Such 
a vegetable is being cultivated in the 
neighborhood of Marseilles, and looks 
so promising that the attention of the 
French Minister of Agriculture has 
been drawn to it, with a view to its 
cultivation being extended and becom- 
ing a general industry. 

An Irish Novelist* 

MISS LANGBRIDOB, who has 
written one of the most success- 
ful stortes in Mr. T. Fisher Un- 
wln's well-known "New Novel" series 
—that is to say, "The Flame and the 
Flood"— is the daughter of the Rev. 
Frederick Langbridge, the rector of St. 
John's, Limerick, well known as a poet 
and playwright 

Miss Langbridge, who is still in her 
early twenties, has clearly a ^very con- 
siderable literary future ahead of her. 
Her first novel is praised by the "Man- 
chester Guardian" as follows: "This 
new author is a bom storyteller. In 
many places we are reminded of Miis 
Rhoda Broughtoa at her best" 



Greeting from Australia* 

Perth, West Australia, 

August 10th, 190S. 

Editor THE GAEL, New York: 

Dear Sir— Your Journal is very mudi 
appreciated amongst Irish readers 
here. There are three Gaelic classes 
In this State and they give occaslonallt 
displays of their progress. I enclose a 
cutting from to-day's dally paper con- 
cerning Gaelic affairs. With greetings 
from the Gaels across the great south- 
ern ocean. Yours very truly, 

Patrick FitzOibbon Ryan. 

GAELIC LEAGUE IN AUSTRALIA. 

The usual weekly meeting of the 
Gaelic League of Western Australia 
was held last Tuesday evening at the 
C. Y. M. S. rooms. Hay Street The at- 
tendance was not so large as usual, 
owing to a ball that was held at Su- 
biaco the same evening. Mr. James 
Healy, vice-president, reported that he 
had received £1 Is. from Mr. P. Whe- 
lan, of Kalgoorlie, as a prize to be 
given in connection with the examinar 
tlon which is to take place next Tues- 
day evening. Mr. John Horgan, presi- 
dent, also donated £1 Is. as prize 
money. A hearty vote of thanks was 
accorded to these gentlemen for their 
generosity. 

The hon. teachers, Mrs. McCarthy 
and Mr. Healy, are pleased to have 
secured the services of the Rev. Father 
Brennan for the examination, as he 
has made a special study of Gaelic. 
Father Brennan purposes giving a 
maximum of 10 marks for each of the 
following subjects: 

Translating English into Irish, 
translating Irish into English, and 
conversation in Irish. O'Growney's 
first and second books will be used for 
the senior pupils, and O'Growney's 
first book for the Juniors. Should time 
permit after the examination Father 
Brennan will deliver an address on 
the progress of the movement In Great 
Britain and Ireland. 

As admission is free, there should 
be a large attendance. There will, 
most probably, be a FHs Oeoil held In 
October at which prizes will be given, 
not only for literary items, but also 
for step-dancing and playing the best 
collection of Irish airs on any instru- 
ment The League is a literary or^ 
ganization, being non-sectarian and 
non-political. 

LEARN DRAWINa BY MIL 

Cor students are now engaged in making 
drawiogs for newspapers and magazines all 
over the oonntry. Write for prospectus. FRSS 
LESSON. 

Our MAIL COURSE was designed and 
drawn by Mr. D. MCCARTHY, and aU criti- 
cisms are under his personal attention. It Is 
the best mail course published; this is a fact 
that no well-known artist will deny. Cut this 
out, with your name and address, and receive 
our beautiful circular, with pictures of famous 
artists at work. Address:— 

N ATI0NAL5CH00L OP CARICATURE 
1 St Floor, World BnlMlng, New York aty- 

Digitizer 



346 



THE GAEU 



October, 1901 




MR. ANDREW CARNEGIE has. of- 
fered the Dublin Corporation 
£28,000 for the erection of a free 
central library, provided the city levies 
£3,500 a year for the support of the li- 
brary, and that a site be given, the cost 
not being a burden on the library. 



MR. WYNDHAM has informed Mr. 
Pike Pease, in the House of 
Commons, that the Early Sta- 
tutes of Ireland will be published in 
octavo form as part of the series of 
the Irish Record Office books. 

About one hundred pages are in type 
and it Is hoped that the first volume 
will be ready for issue early next year. 



MISS BLANCHE M'MANUS is Just 
completing a series of remark- 
able pictures for a book which 
the De La More Press of London and 
Messrs. L. C. Page & Co., of Boston, 
will issue in the early autumn. It is 
entitled "The Cathedrals of Northern 
France," and contains drawings in pen 
and ink, wash and monotone. Miss 
McManus is now resident in London, 
but is most often found on the Conti- 
nent 



THOSE curious in the matter of 
titles are waiting with some in- 
terest for the announcement of 
the name to be given to Mrs. Dora Si- 
gerson Shorter's volume of poems to 
be published in London in a few weeks. 
Having passed from the childish 
"The Fairy Changeling," and the pret- 
ty "My Lady's Slipper,' to the grim- 
ness of "The Father Confessor," and 
thence to the startling although suc- 
cessful "The Woman Who Went to 
Hell," nothing but anti-climax seems 
possible. 



WSPURRELL & SON, publishers, 
Carmarthen, Wales, announce 
* "An Introduction to Breton 
Grammar," 12mo. cloth, 2s.. by J. 
Percy Treasure, member of the Coun- 
cil of the Cornish-Celtic Society. 

The author, in calling attention to 
the first Breton grammar published in 
English, says the book is designed 
chiefly for those Celts and others in 
Great Britain who desire a literary ac- 
quaintance, through the English lan- 
guage, with their relatives and neigh- 
bors in Little Britain. 



ii^^ 



fUE Ruin of Education in Ire- 
land" is the title of a book 
by F. Hugh O'Donnell, M. A., 
published by Nutt, London. 

This work is an appeal by a Catholic 
layman for the betterment of Catholic 
lay education in Ireland, and for its 
deliverance— outside matters of faith 
and morals — from clerical control. 

It is also an indictment of the cleri- 
cal administration of public money in 
Ireland, and of clerical indifference to 
the rights. of the Catholic laity, to- 
gether with suggestions of reform. 



A COPY of the second little volume 
of "The Irish Minstrel," con- 
sisting of a collection of songs 
for use in Irish schools, selected and 
arranged by Mr. P. Goodman, Inspec- 
tor of Musical Instruction to the 
Board of National Education, has 
reached us. 

It is printed by Falconer, of Upper 
O'Connell Street, Dublin, and contains 
twenty-eight songs admirably adapted 
for Irish school children, including 
some of Moore's sweetest and daintiest 
lyrics. The work of selection and ar- 
rangement has been most satisfactor- 
ily performed. 



THE friends of the Celtic revival 
find that many things are com- 
ing their way. Dr. Lucy Allen 
Paton, of Radcllffe, in her monograph 
entitled "Studies in the Fairy Mythol- 
ogy of Arthurian Romance," says: 

"In the fairy lore or Arthurian ro- 
mance we are dealing with rationalized 
myth, which produces a strangely in- 
congruous and incomprehensible 
whole, unless it is interpreted in the 
light of Celtic tradition. That to each 
of the most important fays of the Ar- 
thurian cycle a Celtic origin is to be 
assigned is a view evidently enforced 
by an investigation of their nature." 



"W 



riTHIN the Pale, the True 
Story of Anti-Semitic Per- 
secutions in Russia," the 
new volume by Michael Davltt, is to 
be published next month in this coun- 
try by A. S. Barnes & Co. The book 
is based on the author's personal in- 
vestigations of conditions in Russia 
which have not yet been described. 

He thoroughly looked into the mat- 
ters related when he went to Kishineff 
at the first outbreak of the anti- 



Semitic persecutions. The events at 
that town form only a part of the book 
which is said to be a permanent his- 
tory of the conditions prevailing with- 
in the Pale of Settlement allotted to 
the Jews in Rniaia. 

The material has been gathered at 
first hand, and Mr. Davltt is said to 
write without prejudice. What he has 
written of the social and economic life 
and religious prejudice existing in the 
Russian Empire is said to almost 
challenge beliet 

EJ. DILLON, author of a "Life of 
^ Maxim Gorky." recently pub- 
* llshed by McClure. Phillips & 
Co., began to learn Hebrew at eleven 
years of age. He is a native of Ire- 
land, born of an Irish father and an 
English mother. 

He began his life-work in Russia, 
and did his first writing in Russian. 
His first published articles appeared in 
the "Petersburgskla Viedemosti," in 
1880. In 1884 he was made Doctor of 
Comparative Philogy. and elected pro- 
fessor. Soon after he was elected a 
member of the Armenian Academy of 
Venice, and is the only non-Armenian 
who enjoys this distinction. 

It was some years later that he be- 
gan to write in English, his first article 
being published in "The American Re> 
view of Reviews." Dr. Dillon is said 
to have a "working knowledge" of all 
the living languages of the world, and 
a student's acquaintance wlch the dead 
ones. 



MR. WM. H. GRATTAN FLOOD, 
who is a recognized authority 
on the subject, is about to pub- 
lish a "History of Irish Music." Mr. 
Flood is a Wexford man, and the or- 
ganist of Enniscorthy CathedraL He 
has frequently lectured on our Na- 
tional music in different parts of Ire- 
land, and also for the Irish Literary 
Society in London. 

It is curious, notwithstanding all 
that has been said and written of "our 
glorious heritage," there has never yet 
been issued any one book dealing in 
an accurate and critical manner with 
the history of Irish music from pre- 
Patrlclan days to the nieteenth ( 
tury. Mr. Grattan Flood's volume, for 
which he began collecting material 
twenty-five years ago, will, therefore, 
be welcomed. It will contain about 300 
pages with Illustrations, and be issued 
by Messrs. Browne^ Nolan. Dublin. 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



October, J903* 



REV. J. P. MAHAPPY, of Trinity 
College, Dublin, has been elected 
a Corresponding Member of the 
famous Accademia del Llncei of Rome. 



44 



THE first of a series of "New Con- 
fessions of a Young Man," by 
George Moore, will be publish- 
ed shortly in Llppincott's Magazine. 
Mr. Moore is still at work upon other 
articles of this series. 



ANEW and revised edition of "An 
Irish Cousin," by O. E. Somer- 
yille and Martin Ross, will be 
issued this month by Longmans, Green 
ft Co. This book was originally pub- 
lished by Messrs. Bentley & Son, Lon- 
don, in 1889, as by "Geilles Herring" 
and "Martin Ross." and has been out 
of print for several years. 



LONGMANS. GREEN & CO. an- 
nounce, nearly ready for publica- 
tion. "A Social History of An- 
cient Ireland," Treating of the Govern- 
ment. Military System and j-aw: Reli- 
gion, Learning and Art; Trades, In- 
dustries and Commerce; Manners, Cus- 
toms and Domestic Life of the Ancient 
Irish People. By P. W. Joyce, LL. D.. 
Trinity College, Dublin; M. R. I. A. 
One of the Commissioners for the Pub- 
lication of the Ancient Laws of Ire- 
land. Illustrated. In two vols., 8vo. 



WE have received from Mr. T. 
Hamilton Murray, Secretary of 
the American-Irish Historical 
Society, a copy of "Early Irish in Old 
Albany, N. Y., with Special Mention of 
Jan Andriessen. 'De lersman von Dub- 
lingh.' " By Hon. Pranklin M. Dana- 
har, ex-Judge of the City Court of Al- 
bany. 

Judge Danahar read this paper be- 
fore the Society at its last annual 
meeting when it was ordered printed 
and a copy sent to each member. It 
comes to hand in a neat 8vo. pamphlet 
44 pp., with a frontispiece portrait of 
the author. 



THE GAEL. 

THE Irish in the Revolution and 
the Civil War: Revised and 
Enlarged; Embracing the 
Spanish-American and Philippine 
Wars and Every Walk of Life." is a 
pamphlet in green covers, compiled by 
Dr. J. C. O'Connell, and issued from 
the Trades Unionist Press, in Wash- 
ington. Three pages are devoted to 
the Irish in the Revolution and half a 
dozen to those who served in the Civil 
War. To the latter branch of the sub- 
ject one large volume could hardly do 
Justice. Dr. O'Connell has not done 
justice to the subject 



IN a few days a volume of Irish melo- 
dies selected by O'Brien Butler, the 
composer of "Murgheis." will be 
published by Messrs. Pigott & Co., 
and Messrs. M. H. Gill ft Sons, of Dub- 
lin, Ireland. The paper is of Irish 
manufacture, and the printing and en- 
graving was all done in Ireland. 

The songs will be given with Irish 
and English words, and with piano- 
forte accompaniments. The poems are 
selected from Mangan, Edward Walsh, 
Ethna Carbery, Denny-Lane, and W. 
B. Yeats, and the translations into 
Gaelic are by Mr. Dan Lynch. 



347 

THE "Gaelic Journal" for August, 
which has just come to hand, 
contains among many other in- 
teresting features a very humorous 
story from Grugach an Tobair, told in 
his own inimitable style; a folk-song 
(with music) from Miss Annie 
O'Reilly, Macroom, Co. Cork; an essay 
on the Evils of Emigration by B. 
O'Keeney, Strabane; and "Mangaire 
na te," by Connor Desmond, Bally- 
voumey, relating how the peddlar 
wheedles the mistress of the house in- 
to buying of his wares. The present 
number is one of the best which has 
yet appeared. "The Gaelic Journal" 
ought to have a large number of sub- 
scribers in this country. 



WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS, the 
Irish poet, is to visit this coun- 
try next winter for the first 
time. He will be the guest of friends 
here, and will probably have the plea- 
sure of seeing some of his plays acted 
under the auspices of the Irish Literary 
Society. 

Mr. Yeats' recent volume of essays, 
"Ideas of Good and Evil," has aroused 
a good deal of critical attention In this 
country. The Macmillan Company will 
publish within two or three weeks his 
new volume of poems, "In the Seven 
Woods," which is further described as 
"Being Poems Chiefly of the Irish 
Heroic Age." 

In addition to the poems, the volume 
contains a new play, "On Baile's 
Strand." Special interest attaches to 
the volume because it has been print- 
ed in red and black ink by the au- 
thor's sister. Miss Elizabeth C. Yeats, 
at her own Dun Emer Press, in Dub- 
lin. 



MESSRS. JACK of Edinburgh have 
at length completed their issue 
of the "Edinburgh" edition of 
the Waverly novels in forty-eight vol- 
umes, and of Lockhart's "Life" in ten. 
Among the many plates are a series 
of twenty-one authentic potraits of Sir 
Walter Scott, several of which have 
never been printed before, and por- 
traits of a number of the historical 
personages who figure in the romances. 
The "Edinburgh" is the most com- 
plete, and probably the finest, edition 
that has ever been issued, and consti- 
tutes, as an English critic has said, "a 
splendid monument to the genius of 
Scott seventy years after his death." 



THE latest of the League publica- 
tions is "The Poems of Pierce 
Perriter," edited by Pather 
Dinneen in his usual capable manner. 
Pierce Perriter was one of the most 
prominent figures In the Irish civil 
wars, and one of the last Irish chief- 
tains to hold out against the Crom- 
wellian army. As well as being a sol- 
dier and a hero, Perriter was a scholar 
and a poet; and these thousand lines 
of his poetry that Pather Dinneen has 
edited are indeed a precious relic of a 
well-nigh forgotten past. 

Not of the old Celtic race, he was one 
of those settlers who became "more 
Irish than the Irish themselves." A 
victim to English treachery, he was 
hanged in 1653 at Killarney. As usual 
with our poets who wrote in sorrow 
and tetLT3, his genius finds its most 
beautiful expression in the elegy; and 
his elegy composed for the Knight of 
Kerry, who died in Flanders about 
1644 or 1646. is a really fine poem. 



MR. JOHN G. FOTTRELL and Mr. 
Frank Fottrell, well-known 
Dublin solicitors, have prepar- 
ed for publication in pamphlet form, 
by Mr. John Falconer. Upper O'Con- 
nell Street, an admirable summary or 
explanation of Mr. Wyndham's Land 
Act 

The booklet, which can be had for 
two shillings, opens with a reprint of 
an extremely interesting article re- 
cently contributed by Mr. George Fot- 
trell to the London "Morning Post." 
epitomizing the history of land pur- 
chase in Ireland. Then comes the an- 
alysis of the Wyndham Act, which has 
been prepared by Messrs. J. G. and F. 
Fottrell. and which contains the full- 
est possible information upon every 
section of the measure. 

The pamphlet contains, furthermore, 
the entire text of the Act. elaborate 
tables to assist landlords and tenants 
in calculating the purchase money of 
holdings and to assist trustees in se- 
lecting securities for the investment of 
the proceeds of sales, as well as a co- 
pious index. 



A KNOWLEDGE of Gaelic, says the 
Dublin Dally Chronicle, would 
considerably smooth the difficul- 
ties of the Parliamentary candidates 
for Argyllshire, as a fair proportion of 
the constituents are Gaelic speak- 
ing. 

In some parts of the county the candi- 
dates' election addresses are to be is- 
sued in Gaelic; and it will interest stu- 
dents of that difficult language to see 
how phrases such as "preferential du- 
ties." "reciprocity," "retaliation," and 
••bounty-fed" are turned into the 
tongue In which — as some believe — 
Adam conversed with Eve in the Gar- 
den of Eden. 

It is fortunate for the candidates 
that the election takes place in sum- 
mer, as a winter campaign that in- 
eluded trips to Coll, Tiree. Colonsay, 
Islay and Jura would test the sea-go- 
ing capacity of an old "salt." From 
Ardnamurchan Point to the Mull of 
Cantyre is as rough a stretch of water 
as can be encountered round the Brit- 
ish Isles, the nearest land westward 
being the North American Continent. 
Steam yachts are being offered to the 
candidates, who will require all the 
help extended to them to cover the 
widely-scattered constituency before 
the polling day lírrlvefl,,^^^-^]^ 
Digitized by VjjDOQIC 



348 



THE GAEL 



October, 1903 




The Taaffe Peerage* 



Sept. 1st, 1903. 
Editor THE GAEL. 
Dear Sir: 

IN reading the article in the Septem- 
ber GAEL on "The Taaffes in Aus- 
tria/' I am reminded of a letter, a 
copy of which I enclose, which may be 
found in the "Memoirs of the Family 
of Taaffe," privately printed In Vienna 
in 1856. Truly yours, 

JOHN D. CRIMMINS. 

(Copy.) 

To the Right Honourable Earl of Car- 

lingford, Dublin. 

Portumna, 8th January, 1677. 
Dear Carlingford: 

The fates ordering it so, that we 
three were together, when the most 
unwelcome news of your dear father's 
(and our most noble friend's) decease 
arrived to us, you cannot well imagine 
the surprise it put us in, nor are our 
resentments to be expressed by letter, 
bnt we hope you will easily believe, we 
lament your loss (and ours) with all 
the regret that mortals are capable of 
for their most dire misfortunes. 

The first motions of it struck us 
into a dismal silence and aston- 
ishment, which forced us to have 
recourse to a healing brimmer of 
claret and tibat allaying in some 
measure the first assault of our 
grief, straight brought to our thoughts 
the incomparable solace of your Lord- 
Éhip's not only surviving your noble 
father with all tlie advantages of his 
excellent qualities, but also that we 
shall enjoy In you the same friend- 
Éhip.and goodness we all of us found 
in him. 

This reflection, My Lord, of a 
sudden turned our Just grief into a 
satisfaction that wanted nothing to 
complete it but your Lordship's com- 
pany, which we all heartily wish for, 
and begot another brimmer to your 
health and happiness, which was no 
sooner down but it produced this epis- 
tle at once to condole Your Lordship's 
irreparable loss and to congratulate 
Tour Honour to the increase, of which 
to the world's end we are just going 
to begin a third brimmer, but before 
we do that we think it convenient to 
subscribe ourselves with all the affec- 
tion in nature. Your Lordship's 

most faithful and humble servants, 
CLANRICARDE, DILLON, GALMOY. 



THE "Westminster Gazette," in re- 
calling the fact that Viscount 
Taaffe, an Austrian nobleman, 
is a member of the Irish Peerage with 
his title recognized by the Committee 
of Privileges of the House of Lords 



some forty years ago, says that if the 
Count should make good his title to 
take part in the election of Irish Peers, 
it may yet come to pass that an Aus- 
trian nobleman shall sit in the House 
of Lords. The "Westminster" also re- 
calls an episode in the past history of 
the Taaffe family, which is thus nar- 
rated: 

"The title of Viscount Taaffe and 
the Irish estates were saved from for- 
feiture by an Act of Parliament in the 
reign of William III. In the reign, of 
George II. a Protestant member of the 
Taaffe family laid claim to the Irish 
estates of the Viscount, who was a 
Catholic The claim was unanswer- 
able, but a private Act of Parliament 
was passed for the sale of the estates 
and the payment of one-third of the 
proceeds to Viscount Taaffe, the great- 
grandfather of the late Viscount, the 
famous Austrian statesman, who died 
eight years ago." 

The chronicle goes on: 

"The founder of the fortunes of the 
Taaffe family boasted as one of his 
achievements the killing of a Catholic 
bishop in the person of Dr. Owen Mc- 
Bgan, a valiant warrior-priest, who 
was Bishop of Ross, Ck>unty Cork, in 
Queen Elizabeth's time. Taaffe, father 
of the first Viscount, and a Catholic 
himself, was subduing Cork in 1602 
when Bishop McEgan, at the head of 
his forces, attacked. The Bishop liter- 
ally went into battle with his sword in 
one hand and his prayer book in tlie 
other, and, like 'Mr. Dooley's' priest, 
it was not the "soord" he threw away." 

This is as far as the "Westminster" 
goes. If its knowledge is complete it 
has omitted to mention that after his 
capture Bishop McEgan was promised 
liberty on condition that he would ad- 
vise his people to confide in the Eng- 
lish garrison. Led to the walls the 
patriot prelate addressed his country- 
men in Gaelic which his captors did 
not understand, and warned them to 
put no trust In the Saxon: 
"Beware of the cockatrice— trust not 
the wiles 

Of the serpent, for perfidy skulks in 
its folds! 
Beware of Lord Broghill the day that 
he smiles. 

His mercy is murder!— his word 
never holds. 

"Remember, 'tis writ in our annals of 
blood. 
Our countrymen never relied on the 
faith 
Of truce or of treaty but treason en- 
sued — 
And the issue of every delusion was 
death!" 



The Esm^nde Family* 

SIR THOMAS ESMONDE, Bart., M. 
P., to whom is mainly due the 
restoration of the Irish C«ltl» 
gold ornaments, sits, by an interestiag 
coincidence, for a division of the very 
county— Wexford— which one of We 
ancestors invaded in the twelfth cen- 
tury. 

It was Sir (Geoffrey de Esmonde, K. 
T., who accompanied Strongbow in bis 
invasion of Ireland in 1172, says tlie 
"Westminater Gazette," and landed at 
Bannow, in tlie County Wexford. 

Sir Thomas, who, despite his youth- 
ful—almost boyish— appearance, has 
turned forty, is Chamberlain of the 
Vatican household, and on the occa- 
sion of the recent Jubilee of the Pope 
was deputed by his colleagues of the 
Irish Parliamentary Party to convey 
their congratulations. The hon. bar- 
onet has travelled much, and has re- 
corded his experience in a volume 
which was issued some time aga 

Decrease in Crime* 

A(X;ORDING to the Report of the 
General Prisons Board for Ire- 
land, issued as a Parliamentary 
Paper, the number of prisoners in the 
local prisons of Ireland in 1902 was 
82,895, or 62 in daily average attend- 
ance to every 100,000 of the popula- 
Uon. 

In 1854 the number was 60,445, or 98 
per 100,000— a truly remarkable de- 
cline, especially when it is remember- 
ed that 60 per cent of the total number 
of convicted prisoners during the year, 
were committed for terms not exceed- 
ing two weeks. Ten per cent were for 
terms of four days or less. 

Fifty-seven sentences of penal servi- 
tude were passed during 1902, the 
smallest number ever sentenced in Ire- 
land in one year, and even then a 
larger proportion than usual was for 
the minimum three years' term. 

In 1855 there were 3,427 convicts in 
prison in Ireland. On the first day of 
this year the number was dowif to 249. 
It is worthy of note that fifty per cent 
of the convicted local prisoners were 
committed for drunkenness. The Cath- 
lic Chaplain's report of the conduct of 
Inmates of Ennls Inebriates Home is 
that it has been very good. The after- 
history of some of the patients, how- 
ever, is anything but satisfactory. 

HEW YORK TO MEMPHIS 

Through Pullnian buffet sleepers leaving 

New York daily, via PennsylvanJ i 

Railroad, Southern Railway and 



FRISCO 



MEMPHIS 

TO TLi^l^ POINT» IN TBB 

SOUTHWEST. 

Detailed i-^foriration in regard to ra'es, train 
service, etc., furnished upon apiJicaiion lo 

F. D. BUSSEIX, General Batter» Jaemt. 

SSft Br^méwmj, Niw V»rk: 



Digitized by 



Google 



October, 1903* 



THE GAEU 




Bjr R. Barry O^Brien, Author of the ^Lifc of Charks Stewart Parnell/' Etc* 




IN the Autumn of 1899 I 
spent three weeks in 
Switzerland with my friend 
^ihe late Sir Charles Qavan 
Dufiy. He was then eighty- 
I three years of age, but full of 
/intellectual vigor. Youthful In 
mind and manner, a more gen- 
host or a pleasanter com- 
panion (at his best) could 
not be desired. 
Duffy had a wide experi- 
ence of men and books, and possessed 
a special faculty for collecting and tell- 
ing good stories. He was the best 
raconteur I, at all events, ever met. He 
had a keen sense of humor, a ready, 
and caustic wit. 

"What place will you give me in 
your ministry, Mr. Duffy?" a charming 
young woman once said to him in Mel- 
bourne. 

••Indeed," replied Duffy, "considering 
that the last Government consisted of 
old women, we might have one young 
woman at least in the present min- 
istry." 

Born in 1816, and dying in 1903. his 
life covered an eventful period of Irish 
and of English history. One of the 
founders of the Young Ireland party, 
tried as a rebel. Prime Minister of 
Victoria, and ultimately Speaker of the 
Legislative Assembly in that Colony, 
he passed through many vicissitudes. 
I have before me a letter which Duffy, 
on the occasion of forming his first 
ministry, wrote to his friend John 
Cashel Hoey: 

"Chief Secretary's Office, 
"Melbourne, July 14th, 1871. 

"My Dear Hoey: — I have such a 
strange story to tell you that it will 
need your unswerving friendship not 
to take It for a romance. When I com- 
menced to frame an administration the 
two first men I communicated with, 
who hitherto have been, and been 
proud to be, lieutenants of mine, ad- 
vised that I should put a respectable 
nonentity at the head of the Govern- 
ment (taking any other place I thought 
proper) to avoid the rooted prejudice 
against having an Irish Catholic in 
ttiat position. 

"I replied that I would see the Par- 
liament of Victoria translated whole- 



sale to Pandemonium before I would 
consent to degrade my race and people 
by permitting the Emancipation Act to 
be repealed in my person. They de- 
clined to act, and the next person I ad- 
dressed had the same tale. These gen- 
tleman even had their man ready and 
recommended him to me for his feeble- 
ness, 'which would leave me virtual, 
etc., etc' 

"I washed my hands of these feeble 
friends and formed a Government every 
member of which indeed, except the 
Law OflElcers, had been in office before, 
but only two of whom had much repu- 
tation for ability. I was met with a 
cry in which 'No popery* yells mingled 
with a laugh of derision. Nevertheless 
on the day I met my constituents the 
anxiety to hear the policy of the Gov- 
ernment was something without par- 
allel. Every Journal in the Colony 
telegraphed the speech or a summary 
of it; a number of M. P.'s made a long 
journey to be present, and the place of 
meeting was full to bursting. 

"I send you the speech, and you will 
wonder, as I do, what people found in 
it; but the immediate effect was to ar- 
ray a majority of the whole people on 
our side, to change the tone of the en- 
tire press except the 'Argus' and a lit- 
tle penny parasite of the 'Argus' called 
the 'Daily Telegraph,' and to place the 
administration by common consent in 
an unassailable position. 

"It was, of course the policy which 
produced this effect. We have had in- 
vitations to banquets, and other pub- 
lic entertainments in the principal 
towns in the Colony, all the ministers 
then in office were elected without op- 
position, which has never happened 
before in this Colony (one of the Law 
Officers since chosen has still his elec- 
tion to win), and I have had the au- 
dacity for the first time to place three 
Catholics in the administration, relying 
on the favor of the people to overcome 
their prejudice. 

"I am willing to admit that I have 
never had a success before if you 
choose, but this time I have hit the 
centre of tJie target. Unless I commit 
some blunder a dissolution would give 
me as good a majority as Gladstone 
got In the Irish Church; and I will 
carry out the policy which has satisfied 



the people without delay or hesitation. 
"There now, after that tremendous 
blast on the trumpet, I have done." 

Twenty-three years before this let- 
ter was written Duffy stood in the dock 
in Green Street, Dublin, arraigned for 
treason. Walking one day in the 
grounds in Sonnenburg, above Lu- 
cerne, Duffy turned suddenly to me 
and said: "Do you remember my 
trial?" I said I did not. "Then you 
ought to be shot." I admitted the fact 
and said: "Well, tell me all about it 
now"; and Duffy, with characteristic 
directness, plunged in tnediaa res, 

"The (Government was determined 
that whoever might escape I should be 
convicted. Indeed, the frigate which 
was to take me to Van Diemen's Land 
was already named by the officials of 
the Castle. In August, 1843, I was put 
upon my trial. The charge was Trea- 
son Felony. As I stood in the dock 
waiting for the jury to be empanelled, 
the junior counsel for the Crown came 
quickly into court, dashed up to the 
Attorney-General, said something hur- 
riedly to him; then there was a con- 
sultation of the Crown lawyers, and 
the Attorney-General rose and said: 
'My Lord, I shall ask to have the pris- 
oner, Gavan Duffy, put back; we do not 
propose going on with the trial this 
sitting.' 

"I was amazed; could not make out 
what it meant Sir Ck>lman O'Loghlen 
(one of my counsel) came to me. I 
said: 'What is the meaning of this?' 
He replied: 'They have found a letter 
of yours in Smith O'Brien's portman- 
teau, and they think that it gives them 
a chance of indicting you for High 
Treason.* 

"The letter which they thought 
would condemn me turned out to be 
my salvation in postponing my trial 
and leading the Castle into a succes- 
sion of pitfalls. The Government 
thought that tbey might be able to 
hang instead of transporting me. 

"I was accordingly put back. In Oc- 
tober, 1848, I was put forward again. 
Up to the night before the opening of 
the Commission I did not know what 
I was to be tried for or where I was to 
be tried. On the morning O'Loghlen 
came to. me in prison. 'Would you like 
Dipizeo 



350 



THE GAEU 



October, J903* 



to have your trial postponed again?' 
he said. 'Certainly/ I said, 'if they 
play the game of postponement we will 
play It too.' *Well/ said O'Loghlen, 
'they can't try you to-day, because, in 
order to get a safer jury, they have 
transferred you from the city to the 
county, and they have failed to give 
the necessary notice.' 

'The Government thought that a 
jury of County Dublin squires would be 
more reliable than a jur:^ of Dublin 
tradesmen. When we came into court. 
Butt, my leading counsel, rose and ask- 
ed in his bland and pleasant way: 

" 'In whose custody is Mr. Duffy, my 
Lord?' 

" 'Why, of course, Mr. Butt,' said the 
Judge, 'in the custody of the Sheriff.' 

" 'But, my Lord, which Sheriff?' 

"The Judge having as^ed for the 
Calendar, replied: 'The Sheriff of the 
County Dublin.' 

"'Then, my Lord,' said Butt, 'the 
trial can't go on. This is a change of 
venue. We are entitled to ten days' 
notice. We have not received ten days' 
notice or one day's notice.' 

"The point was argued. But the 
judges had to decide in favor of Butt, 
and I was again put back. 

"In December I was put forward 
again. The indictment was the long- 
est which, I believe, was ever seen. It 
was a hundred feet of parchment. 
There was a new count charging me 
with inciting Smith O'Brien to 
rebellion. My counsel attacked 
the indictment count by count 
and riddled it The Judges ruled 
that four out of the six counts 
were bad in law. When the in- 
dictment was reduced to this 
condition. Butt said: 'My Lord, 
we are now ready to go on.' 
But the Crown said there was 
no necessity to go on; that as J 
had demurred I had admitted 
the facts, and all that was 
necessary now was to pass sen- 
tence. 

"Butt protested, saying that 
in cases of High Treason thp 
prisoner could plead as well as 
demur, and that the same rule 
applied to Treason Felony 
The Crown denied this, and the 
point was hotly contested. Ulti- 
mately the judges decided in 
favor of Butt 

"'But,' said the judges, *we 
cannot go on with the case now 
because we have arrangements 
which call us elsewhere, and 
the sittings must be adjourned,' 
and so I was put down for the 
third time. 

"In February, 1849, I was put 
up for the fourth time. We did 
not get a copy of the panel. 8o 
I had no materials for prepar- 
ing my challenges, but when 
the names were read out *n 
court, Butt challenged the ar- 
ray, and while the arguments 
were proceeding I had copies 
of the panel taken and printed, 
and I sent them round to my 
friends to get Information about 
the jurors. On the panel was 



the name of Martin Burke. Burke was 
a Catholic, but hostile to the National 
Cause, and wholly under the' influence 
of the Castle." 

"A tame Catholic," I interjected. 

"Exactly. That the Crown would 
put him on the jury was likely enough. 
His presence would give a color of im- 
partiality, while in reality I would be 
as safe in the hands of any Protestant 
That we should object to Martin 
Burke went without saying. But on 

the morning of the trial Mrs. 

called on me with a message from Mrs. 
Burke. 'Don't object to Martin, what- 
ever you do. Don't let your counsel 
object Let him go on the Jury. My 
daughter and I will be in court, and 
we will sit opposite the jury box.' 

"That was enough for me. Martin 
Burke was called. Butt wanted to ob- 
ject, but I said 'No.' CLoghlen told me 
that Butt would object on his own re- 
sponsibility, as he considered the ex- 
clusion of Martin Burke vital, but I 
insisted that Martin Burke should not 
be challenged. I said. I shall take all 
the responsibility; let the consequences 
be on my head. And Burke was sworn. 

"The jury was soon empanelled and 
the trial began. Butt fought like a 
lion, as he did all the time. In due 
course the jury retired to consider 
their verdict When they returned to 
court the foreman said that they could 
not agree. Eleven were for a convic- 




tion, one, Martin Burke, was for an 
acqiiittal. The jury were locked up tor 
the night, but Martin Burke held out 
In the morning the jury were discliarg- 
ed. I thought that I should be dis- 
charged, too, after eight months' im- 
prisonment and all the abortive at- 
tempts which had been made to bring 
me to book. But the Crown was re- 
solved to keep me in its clutches, and 
I was again put back. 

"In April, 1849, after I had been ten 
months in jail, I was put up once more. 
This was the strangest trial of all. All 
the other Toung Irelanders had been 
tried by common juries. It was tbe 
rule to try felony cases by common 
juries. But the Crown was now re- 
solved to try me by a special jury, be- 
lieving that such a jury would be sure 
to convict Now special . jurors are 
drawn from the same class as grand 
jurors, and, as you know, a grand 
juror who has found a true bill against 
a prisoner cannot sit on the petty jury 
which is to try him. 

"So many indictments had been sent 
up against me that several special Jur- 
ors were disqualified from trying me 
because they had sat on the grand 
juries that considered these indict- 
ments. That was point number one. 
Again, several of the special jurors re- 
sided out of Dublin, and it was neces- 
sary that the jury which was to try 
me should consist of residents of the 
City of Dublin, where my of- 
fence was committed. Thirdly, 
Butt argued successfully that 
no one over sixty years of age 
could serve on a jury. He said 
it was not a question of option, 
but compulsion, and so the 
Court ruled. 

"The special jury panel con- 
tained 170 names. Of these only 
ninety attended, despite heavy 
fines. The prisoner was entit- 
led to challenge twenty peremp- 
torily, which we did. This re- 
duced the number to seventy. 
Three were away through ill- 
ness— 'sick,' a witty barrister 
said, 'of the Queen against Oa- 
van Duffy.' Sixty-seven names 
then remained from which to 
select a jury. 

"The empanelling of the Jury 
gave rise to great merriment. 
A juror was called. He stepped 
into the box and took the book. 
Butt rose, and with a genial 
smile said: 

" 'May I ask, sir, if you serv- 
ed on any of the grand juries 
which found a true bill against 
the prisoner?' 
"The juror answered 'Yes.' 
" 'Very sorry, sir,' said Butt, 
'that we cannot have your ser- 
vices in this case, but I must 
ask you to stand aside/ and he 
waved the juror out of the box. 
"Another and another and 
another came forward, to be 
asked the same question and to 
disappear the same way. 

"Xt length a juror came for- 
ward who had not been on any 
of the grand juries. Butt said: 



Digitized by 



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October, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



351 



•May I ask, sir, where you reside?' The 
Juror said: *In Blaclo-ock.' 'Very sorry, 
sir,' said Butt, 'that we cannot have 
you in the case, but you live out of the 
dlstrtct.' 

"Another came who lived in Rath- 
famham, another who lived in Kings- 
town, until a score was disposed of. 
Then some one was called who had not 
served on any of the grand Juries, and 
who did not live out of the district. 
'May I ask, sir,' said Butt, 'if you are 
over sixty years of age?' And the 
Juror answered, 'Yes.' 'Very sorry. 
8ir,' said Butt, 'that we cannot have the 
benefit of your experience in this trial, 
but I must ask you to stand aside.' 
Finally the list was so attenuated by 
this process that the Crown was forced 
to put on the Jury Catholics who were 
not 'tame' and Protestants who were 
Liberal. Then the trial went on. 

''It was Good Friday and long after 
nightfall. The Jury retired to consider 
their verdict, and I was permitted to 
retire too. I was sent for at midnight, 
and came back to find the court crowd- 
ed in every part The Sherift was sent 
to the Jury-room to ask if the Jury 
were ready. He came back in ten 
minutes to say they were writing their 
Tordict Then they came in, conferred 
with the Sherift, and the Sherift an- 
nounced that they could not agree. 

"There were six for a conviction and 
six for an acquittal. They were locked 
up for the rest of the night When 
they came into court next morning tne 
foreman said that they had not agreed 
and that there was no chance of their 
agreeing. There were seven now for 
an acquittal and five for a conviction. 
The Crown lawyers put their heads to- 
gether, the Judges deliberated, the Jury 
was discharged, and — I was let out on 
bail." 

Over a quarter of a century later 
Dufty had to defend his Government in 
Victoria against a vote of censure. He 
was attacked himself as an Irish rebel. 
He replied in a memorable speech: 

"I will soon have to account for my 
whole life, and I feel that it has been 
defaced by many sins and shortcom- 
ings; but thpre is one portion of it I 
must except from this censure. I can 
say without fear, and without Impiety, 
that when I am called before the Judge 
oT all men I shall not fear to answer 
for my Irish career. I did what I be- 
lieved best for Ireland, without any re- 
lation to its effect on msrself. 

"I am challenged to Justify myself 
for having been an Irish rebel, under 
penalty of your fatal censure; and I 
am content to reply that the recollec- 
tion that when my native country was 
in mortal peril I was among those who 
staked life for her deliverance is a 
memory I would not exchange for any- 
thing that parliaments or sovereigns 
can give or take away." 




A Nation Once Again* 

By Thomas Davis. 

WHEN boyhood's fire was in my 
blood, 
I read of ancient freemen. 
For Greece and Rome who bravely 
stood. 
Three hundred men and Three men.* 
And then I prayed I yet might see 
Our fetters rent in twain. 
And Ireland, long a province, be 
A Nation once again. 

^nd from that time, through wildest 
woe. 

That hope has shone, a far light; 
Nor could love's brightest summer 
glow 

Outshine that solemn starlight: 
It seemed to watch above my head 

In forum, field, and fane; 
Its angel voice sang round my bed, 

"A Nation once again." 

It whispered, too, that "freedom's ark 

And service high and holy, 
Would be profaned by feelings dark 

And passions vain or lowly: 
For freedom comes from God's right 
hand 

And needs a godly train; 
And righteous men must make our 
land 

A Nation once again." 

So, as I grew from boy to man 

I bent me to that biddings 
My spirit of each selfish plan 

And cruel passion ridding; 
For, thus I hoped some day to aid— 

Oh! can such hope be vain?— 
When my dear country shall be made 

A Nation once again. 

*The Three Hundred Greeks who died 
at Thermopyl», and the Three Romans 
who kept the Subliclan Bridge. 

The Blackbird* 

(Lines written to an old Irish melody.) 

THERE'S a bird that sings in the 
Narrow Glen, 
The brave blackbird with a gol- 
den bill. 
He'll call me afther him, an' then 

He'll flit, an' lave me still. 
A bird I had was one't my own, 
Oh, dear, my Colleen Dhu to me! 
My nest is cold, my bird has flown — 
An' the blackbird sings to me. 

Oh, never think I'll tell her name, 

I'll only sing that her heart was 
true: 
My blackbird! ne'er a thing's the same 

Since I was losin' you. 
'Tis lonesome in the Narrow Glen, 

An' rain drops heavy from the tree; 
But whiles I'll think I hear her when 

The blackbird sings to me. 

I'll make a cradle of my breast. 

Her image all its child shall be. 
My throbbin' heart shall rock to rest 

The care that's wastin' me. 
A Night of Sleep shall end my pain, 

A flunny Morn shall set me free. 
An' when I wake I'll hear again 

My blackbird sing to me. 

— MOIRA O'NEILL. 



An Irish Bibliography* 

MR. J. KING, 53 Khedive Road» 
Forestgate, London, England, 
is deeply interested in Irish 
Bibliography and has compiled and 
printed a list of early Irish printed 
books which is of great value to librar- 
ians and book collectors in general. 
The following are offered for sale by 
him: 

Armagh — Books and Pamphlets print- 
ed in Armagh in the ei^teenth cen- 
tury (printed for private distribu- 
tion), Dublin, 1901 6d. 

Cork— List of Books, etc., published in 
Cork during the seventeenth and 
eighteenth centuries: 

Part I. — Seventeenth century pub- 
lications (reprinted from C!ork His- 
torical and Archselogical Journal) 
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MR. GEORGE W. SHERMAN, 
Publisher, announces the ''Life 
of Captain Jeremiah O'Brien, 
Commander of the First American 
Naval Flying Squadron of the War of 
the Revolution." Illustrated. 12mo. 
Pp. XVÍÍ.-247. ^ J 

Digitized byV^OOQlC 



352 



THE GAEL. 



October, 1903. 



Gi^^^ 



AN OLD POEM FROM THE '^BOOK 
OF LEINSTER/' 

(NEVER PREVIOUSLY TRANSLATED.) 

By T- O'Neill RusscIL 




^HE following is one of the most curious. 
It might be said extraordinary, poems 
fin ancient Irish. I have attempted Its trans- 
'latlon for the simple reason that no one else 
has made the attempt. I do not guarantee 
translation to be correct in every partlc- 
^ ular, for there are words in the Irish that can- 
not be found In any dictionary or vocabulary 
that I have consulted, and the translations of 
fhem are, to a certain extent, guesses. 

The poem will be found on page 295 of the fac simile of 
the Book of Leinster, and on page 63 of my modern Irish 
version of the Leinster Tribute, or "Boramha Laighean/' 
where it is transcribed but not translated. 

A version of the Leinster Tribute has been made by Mr. 
Stokes in the "Revue Celtique," and by Mr. Standlsh Hayes 
O'Grady in "Silva Oadelica," but neither of them has at- 
tempted the translation of this curious poem, evidently, ii 
Is to be supposed, because they found it so very diflacult. 
It is certain that the poems In many of the tracts and 
legends in ancient Irish are much more difficult to under- 
stand Uian the prose, because they are often centuries older. 

The tract on the Leinster Tribute may have been written 
hundreds of years before it was copied into the Book of 
Leinster, about the year 1150. The scribe who copied it 
could have modernized the prose part of it. and it seems 
almost certain that he did; but he could hardly have mod- 
ernized the verse without spoiling the metre and the 
rhyme. 

The prose part of the Leinster Tribute is, to a great ex- 
tent, the language of Keating and Bedel. In putting it into 
modern Irish, I had not very much to do beyond modern- 
izing the spelling, and giving modern words instead of some 
obsolete ancient ones; the construction of the prose had to 
be altered only in a few places. 

I remember having read a whole page of the prose part 
of the Leinster Tribute for a native Irish speaker, and he 
understood every word of it, except some of the proper 
names. He could read and write the modern language well, 
but he had never before seen an ancient manuscript, or 
heard one read. This will show the folly of the wild asser- 
tion that some who pose as Irish scholars make when they 
say that the Irish of Keating, Bedel and Donlevy cannot be 
now understood. 

There is only one word of what could be called even a 
0lig:ht difference in language between Bedel's Irish version 
of the first chapter of Genesis, and Archbishop MacHale's 
Irish version of the same chapter, and that difference, if it 
can really be called a difference, consists in the substituting 
of the nrepositlon "\e" by Archbishop MacHale, for the 
preposition "re" used by Bedel. 

Bedel's Irish version of the Bible was made about the year 
1640. and Archbishop MacHale's Irish version of the Pen- 
tateuch was made more than two hundred years later, yet 
both versions may be truly said to be in the same language. 
It seems wrong to dishearten students by telling them that 



most of the ancient Irish language is so very difficult. 

Anyone who has a good grasp of the Irish of Keating will 
have no great difficulty in understanding what is called 
"Middle Irish"; that is, the language written between the 
eleventh and fifteenth centuries. "Old Irish" is applied to 
the language written before the tenth century. 

The great poem, the "Fellere of Oengus," is generally con- 
sidered the longest piece of verse extant in old Irish. Nine- 
tenths of ancient Irish literature is in Middle Irish. For 
scholars, the most important part of Old Irish are the IriBh 
glosses in Latin manuscripts preserved in the libraries of 
St. Gall, Wurtzburg, Milan, and other cities on the Ck>ntl- 
nent. These glosses have the great advantage of orglnality; 
they are not copies; they were written by Irish monks 
and learned men who were the chief teachers of Christian- 
ity and of letters to the then pagan inhabitants of a great 
part of Continental Europe. Most of the glosses In Irish 
found in so many of the libraries of Continental Europe are 
supposed to have been written between the seventh and 
ninth centuries. 

It is only fair for me to say that, imperfect as the follow- 
ing translation may be. it would have been still more im- 
perfect were it not for the help I got from Mrs. M. A. Hut- 
ton, of Belfast, who is an excellent Irish scholar, and espe- 
cially conversant with the old forms of the language. The 
following copy of the poem on the Leinster Tribute haa 
been very carefully made from the facsimile of the Book 
of Leinster, and can be guaranteed exact 

The story of the cause of the imposition of the Tribute 
on the Province of Leinster is the most interesting and par 
thetic episode in all ancient Irish history. Tuathal Teach- 
tmhar was Over-King of Ireland about the beginning of 
the second century, A. D. He had two beautiful daughtera 
named Fithir and Darine. A King of Leinster named by 
annalists both Eochach and Dolmlen, married Fithir; but 
thinking that Darine was the better of the two young 
ladies, he went to Tara, told Tuathal that Fithir was dead, 
and that he wished to marry Darine, her sister, and she 
was given to him. When Darine arrived at the King of 
Leinster*s dun, or dwelling, she found her sister, whom 
she had thought dead, alive and well. Darine died of shame 
on finding how she had been treated, and on seeing her 
sister dead. Fithir died of grief. So Tuathal lost both his 
beautiful daughters. 

On finding how his daughters had been illused. Tuathal 
summoned his vassals, the Kings of Ulster and Connacht, 
one of whom had been foster father to Fithir, and the other 
to Darine. Their forces, along with those of the chief 
king, Tuathal. Invaded Leinster, defeated and killed its 
King, and imposed the enormous tribute mentioned in the 
following poem. It was paid on and off for nearly six hun- 
dred years, until it was remitted by the Over-King, Finn- 
achta. in the seventh century. 

The tribute caused battles beyond number, for the Lein- 
stermen rarely paid it without a fight It almost totally 
denationalized the men of the unfortm^te provim2e, and 



Digitized byV^OOQlC 



October, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



353 



W98, almost without a doubt, the cause of their forming an 
alliance with the Danes, and fighting on their side at the 
battle of Clontarf, for they probably thought that if Brian 
Boramha became too powerful he would reimpose the 
tribute. 

The story of the Leinster Tribute in the Book of Leinster, 
or Book of Olendaloch, as it is sometimes called, is regard- 
ed by Mr. Whitley Stokes as one of the greatest historical 
romances in literature, and he has said as much in his 



translation of it in the "Revue Celtique." There is also a 
version of the Tribute in the Book of Lecan, a manuscript 
compiled in the latter part of the fourteenth century, or. 
nearly three hundred years after the Book of Lein- 
ster. 

A transcription of the following poem may be seen in 
"Silva Gaedlica," but the transscription in it differs con- 
siderably from the text in the Book of Leinster from which 
it was taken: 



THB LEINSTER TRIBUTE. 

Cu*\caL CeccmAfi, cei'xA in u^klmAii ciccip co CuacaI -dia tAi5 ; 

T)eió céc -DO CACAib ]\o étiibf 13, cóic a^ait) UifTii5 |to At|t. 

If é TCvtAÍút caII AC11111T) x>e nÁ cótce-OAib cen cleit; 

If é Tro fiin^ne plef c lÁmA cmtie "oAnA cÁtiA ci6. 

"DA 1115111 AC CuacaL Ce6cniAp, ctimniA cen co puccÁif tib ; 

Siniu A meicc nACA mefiA, 5»liu nÁc tiélA T)o mm. 

piti^ If "OAf ine x>onx>3el ; inniAf Ar T)úib immAf biAf ; 

"OÁ in5in AC CuauaL CeórmAji, bA h-olc x>uACAt) -oebcA in -oiAf 

"pitif f ÚAif coémAf c 1 CcAnif A15, rennÁil C151 nof f a Ruait) ; — 

eo£ti TOAC ecAC A h-AiLin-o, bA Cf ebcAá a Ainim "oiiAL 

^tAinx>in ben, ben meic ecAc, injen CucaiI cauIca glAiff 

Cu jiu bfiff A céite A connÁil f A|t fub ftébe CollAin CAif. 

5ebiT) flum f emi cu Cemf A15 CAebxjel, CfUfcen nt|i bA cú|i ; 

AnÁi-op tefp Af tn.v 5 mu5nA ; buTJin nA meff cumjtA a cúL, 

o fo fiAóc in fep I', in Cemf A15, ciIac 1 ronnlet) mix) meijb, 

Inntfit) A mnÁi t)o moc éc ; f o bót fOf "oiioc fee, co •oe/if). 

nof ffecAif f if flAic fef funiT), AUf tibAiftr 1 fÁit móif , 

"RocfiA 'OÁf inc ni x>Aiobif, cu lÁmife xt* f Algib óif ." 

Cug teif A mnÁi co iTlAfcm. mAétnAex>iu temf a "OAri ; 

^uAif p •oéic A fiAif 1 f lÁnci ; -oo Cf lAiT» f »f nA bÁif ce hi. 

nopotc lé f Áf 5UT) A fecAf , imniA céite ti< f o ceil ; 

^rbAil noex>enÁn "oe nÁif e, — cóejef An oc SlAne fein. 

niAf ArbAt "OAf me T)onx>5et T)n -oecpn Af "picif pn-o. 

If x>iA cuniAix) If niAf b pcif , uch ! f o po f itif in f Ain-o^ 

nof rtc in fp uit f Ain f ia SAniAin, f f ut mnÁ tleccAin cufpn neim, 

no bóe ton5jf>efc accu in ^ImAin cu uAice f Amf Ait) lAf fAin. 

Sif fee in cóice'O im C hAf niAn ; ó ChAf mun co Commuf-CAff , 

ni hénAif c imniAf t)o pinjneT) ; f uc héfAic a injen Aff. 

^■obet tn nef A1C fA hAf mi, mnifcf fef bfec nAc beo: — 

Cfi C01CAIC céc bó CAC bliAT)Ain, — bA ^Af ir lÁn liAmnA leo; 

Cfi cufCAic céc fÍAbf A-o nAfjAic ÁlAint) fo rAcnícíf uaIÍ; 

If Ab'OAtl ocuf ni f Aeb5o, — f lAbf a-o caó cen bo adx) ; 

Cfi C01CAIC cér mucc no mécrAif im móf áAilnb imbíc luin: 

Cfi coiCAir céc molcf At) monjAe, — nucun otc m conjnAb éf uit>r 

Cfi coiCAir céc lent)bf Arc lif f 1 tÍ5T)A, heccÁif x>Af a tÁf ; 



TRANSLATION. 
Tuathal Teachmhar, envoys of the land used to come to 

his house. 
Ten hundreds of battles he admitted (to have fought) ; he 

ploughed the fields of Uisneach. 
It was Tuathal who cut the heads (1) oft the provinces 

without concealment 
It was he who made hand-rods of steel (2) with skill for a 

slender isteed. 
Two daughters had Tuathan Teachmhar, no matter that 

they were not bom with you; 
Their pupils were older than their fingers (3) ; fairer (were 

they) than the clouds of heaven; 
Fithir and brown-white Darine. I will tell you how it 

will be (4). 
Two daughters had Tuathal Teachtmhar; bad were the dis- 
putes (5) of the two. 
Fithir was wooed in Tara; (there was a) gathering of the 

house. of Ross Ruadh. 
Eocha, son of Echaoh, from Allen (her wooer) powerful 

was his rightful name. 
Beautiful was the woman, the wife of the son of Echach, 

daughter of Tuathal of the green-hill; 
Her husband broke his friendship (with her) for the plea- 
sure of the mountain of Collancash (6). 
He proceeded to white-sided Tara, a Journey that was not 

a grief (to him); 
She stayed south on Magh Mugna— the most fragrant of 

the fruit (7) (Fithir) was left behind. 
When that man reacbed Tara, the mount in which Maeve'« 

mead was consumed. 
He says his wife (Fithir) had died young; he was on u 

bad Journey indeed. 
The true chief of the men of the west (Tuathal) answered 

him very quickly, 
"Thou Shalt have Darine, who is not poor, with hand-orna- 
ments of rings of gold." 
He took with him his wife to Maistin— the tender child of 

Dathi's (8) Tara. 
She found her sister afterwards in health; she was of the 

true mould of the strong (9). 
Grevious to her was the injury of her sister; she did not 

conceal what her husband was. 
The child died of shame; that was a crying complaint at 

Slane (?) 
When brown-white Darine died on looking at fair Fithir, 
Of her grief died Fithir; alas! hard was the separation. 
That stream (10) came before November; the stream of 

the wife of Nechtan with venom; 
Then encamped in Allen until the beginning of the summer 

after that; 
They searched the province round Carman, from Carman 

to Cummer-cas; 
There was no force like that which was displayed; he 

(Tuathal) brought a fine for his daughters out of it 
Vast was the fine to recount, as a speckled man not alive 

tells: 
.Fifteen thousand (11) cows every year— a short time was 

full leaping left with them (12), 
Fifteen thousand chains of beautiful silver that used to 

please long ago; 
It is wonderful but no foolish lie, there was a chain with 

every cow in it; 
Fifteen thousand pigs that u«ed to be fattened in great 

woods where there was food; 
Fifteen thousand woolly wether»—no bad possession of 

property; 
Fifteen thousand linen cloaks of the beautiful Liffy (14),. 

with ornaments across their centre^; 



Digiti 



zedbyCjOOgle 



354 



THE GAEL» 



October, J903. 



C^ti C01CA1C céc nAfiAftc tiimt).\, cenT)<\t ha x>a\\c iniji^x>A rnÁn ; 

Zpí C01CA1C cér co|tc ti-umA i nibe|tbteA m\x> mAise-móem ; 

iTlotc ^if mbeiiAX) u6r a\\ Aile, bA he ttiór in óoitie cóeim. 

Coi^e «mA T>ib i Cem|iAi5, "OÁ muicc T>éc Atix) f if niA fe6, 

in T)Á mtiicc -oéc nticT) -oiitA-o, if fex) f o tinA-o a tec ; 

Cef c CO tin nA muc f Ain T)*Ai5ib, if ret) no f cAille Aice tAll ; 

If -oo fin bA lÁn in CAine, "oo cuf cca Áf Aije An-o ; 

O f é ChuAtAil T)oib 'cÁ coboó, cof é pnnAórA ha fofc, 

T)A f li'er f 15 T)o éÍAtnt) CuacaiI f of ben a bf uACAib bftij-tnott;. 



Fifteen thousand shining linen bed-draperies (13)» with the 

color of horns of precious myrrh; 
Fifteen thousand copper cauldrons, in which was boiled 

the mead of Magh-moen; 
A wether with which would touch the breast of another. 

that was the load of the fine cauldron. 
A copper cauldron of them in Tara, twelve pigs down in it 

apart; 
The twelve pigs were not too much (?), it was they that 

filled half (the cauldron). 
Just with that number of pigs, the same number of calves, 

that used to fill it long ago; 
With that the cauldron was filled; a slaughter of calves 

was in it 
From the time of Tuathal they levied it (the Tribute), to 

the time of Finnachta of the spears (15), 
Forty kings of the race of Tuathal exacted it from the bor- 
ders of Brigh-mott (16). 



NOTES. 



Before noticing some of the difficult words and phrases 
in the above poem, it is only proper to warn students of 
anclf^nt Irish poetry that they will find that the poets who 
wrote in it took more liberty with the language In which 
they wrote than, perhaps, was ever taken by any poets, 
ancient or modem, with any other language. Ancient Irish 
poets sacrificed not only orthography and grammar, but 
often sense, for rhyme, alliteration, and vowel and conso- 
nantal corresDondence, as may be noticed in many places in 
this poem. They used to transpose words in an extraordi- 
nary way to suit the exigencies of their metres. 

These things, along with the vast number of words that 
have become obsolete and that cannot be found in any dic- 
tionary, make It very hard to understand the verses of the 
old Irish noets. It should also be said that the scribe who 
copied this poem into the Book of Lelnster seems to have 
taken great liberty with both orthogrphy and grammar. 

1. Tuathal formed the province of Meath by taking parts 
of the four original provinces, or, as the poet puts it, by 
cutting their heads oft. 

2. The exact meaning of this line is obscure; the trans- 
lation is partly a guess; but it must refer to rods or wreaths 
of some kind. 

3. This phrase, **pniti a meicc haca méjiA.*' means literally 
what it has been translated to mean, m^icc, meaning the 
pupils of the eyes, occurs in Destruction of Da Dergas Hos- 
telry: but the phrase may have a conventional meaning in 
old times quite different from its literal meaning. 

4. "How it will be," immAti biAf ; here the relative fu- 
ture of the verb rÁim seems to be used instead of the 
pa€t tense, and, apparently, in order to make it rhyme 
with -niAr 

5. It does not appear that the two sisters had ever any 
disputes. The phrase An -oiAf might be translated "about 
the two." 

6. "The mountain of Collaln-cash." This pharse puzzles 
me. I cannot find mention of any mountain of that name. 
It may be a euphemistic way of expressing what won id 
hardly bear to be translated. 

7. meff means both fruit and a foster child; either 
translation would suit, for the two sisters were foster chil- 
dren. 

8. If this word Dathi means King Dathi, he did not 
reign until some centuries after Tuathal. 

9. "Mould of the strong." This is a mere guess. The 
Irish Í8t)í» ^fiAi-o piti nA bÁ»i«celií. O'Reilly gives bAmce as 
an adjective meaning strong, brave, stout; but it is a noun 
in the Doem. DMticp. might have been intended forlioiti^e. 
the ancient name of the Mourne Mountains in the County 
Down, for a and o and u were often used Indiscriminately, 
one for another, in old Irish, and in middle Irish also; and 
the slender vowels, e and i, were U8i»d in the same way. 
bAMtce may be a proper name. O'Reilly gives bAifce as 
also meaning a battle. 

10. "That stream of the wife of Nechtan." This phrase 
will show how bard it is to fully understand the old writ- 
ings because of the many allusions found in them to legends 
and things that are now forgotten, and can be known only 
by tha merest accident. I am indebted to Mrs. Hutton for 



the following explanation of the above curious line: There 
is a legend preserved in the Dinseanchus in the Book of 
Lelnster that there was a well in the place where a man 
named Nechtan lived. There was some sort of spell on the 
well; whoever broke the spell was to suffer for breaking it. 
Nechtan's wife broke the spell; the well burst out, drowned 
her, and formed the River Boyne. So "ihe stream of the 
wife of Nechtan" means the forces of the chief king and 
his vassals, who had come from the Boyne. That river's 
name was in ancient times, to a great degree, synonymous 
with the name of Meath, and between Meath and Lelnster 
the greatest hostility prevailed from the time it had been 
made into a province by Tuathal Teach tmhar. 

11. "Fifteen thousands cows, etc." This enormjous tri- 
bute exacted from ancient Lelnster, which extended no far- 
ther north than the Liftey, and the Brosna in the King's 
County, will show how great were the wealth and. popula- 
tion of Ireland in ancient times. Almost every old manu- 
script that is translated; almost every treasure-trove that 
is found, prove these facts. That the trihute was intended to 
be paid every year is certain; but that it was not paid every 
year is equally certain, for the Leinstermen rarely paid It 
without a fight; and they seem to have beaten the combined 
forces of the provinces as often as they were vanquished 
by them. 

12. • "A short time was full leaping left with them/' 
This is very satirical. It means that the cattle used to be 
soon killed to feed their hungry captors. I heard a some- 
what similar remark made by a herd when he saw a lot of 
stall-fed cattle jumping about after having been let loose 
to go to Liverpool to be slaughtered; he said, "ni fAx> 50 
mb-MTireAii An lerni i^rrA," o , t»'P j«i pi cr wl]| Run ho knocked 
out of them, tor the poor beasts had only a day or two to 
live. 

13. "linen bed draperies." The wbole of this line is 
very obscure; but that aithc ntm-nA refers to some sort of 
linen cloth, seems clear. The n with which the word com- 
mences in the text is, as I take it to be, what Is called a 
"transDorted" n; that is, an n taken from the immediately 
preceding word with which it ended, or was supposed to 
have ended, formerly. 

14. "Of the beautiful Lifliey," did not mean the river, but 
the country watered by it. 

15. "Of the spears." ha |?otic. I cannot find out the real 
meaning of the word p^v^c, O'Reilly gives it as meaning 
what It means In English, a fork; but "fork" can hardly 
be an Irish word; the dictionaries say it is of Teutonic 
origin; if so, how did it get into Irish so early? But the 
word may be Irish, only I cannot find it except in O'Reilly. 
It should be remembered that a fork in old English did not 
always mean a two-pronged instrument. Compare Shakes- 
peare's "Soft and tender fork of a poor worm"; consequent- 
ly a spear might be called a fork. 

16. "Brigh-molt." I have not been able to find out where 
this hill is. but it must be somewhere in Lelnster under a 
different name. It means the hill of wethBrs. 

It is to be hoped that some of the learned men who. not 
like myself, have made old and middle Irish their particular 
study, will rectify whatever mistakes I have maderin trans- 
lating this curious and interesting poem. JOQ IC 



October, 1903 



THE GAEL. 



355 



^^^M 





Kildare Archaeological Society» 

Excursion. 



^ N pleasing contrast with last 
year's weather conditions, the 
County Kildare Archaeological 
Society held their annual ex- 
cursion meeting on Wednes- 
day, September 2d, under the 
most enjoyable circumstances. 
The party was a large one, and 
the itinerary embraced several 
places possessing not only much his- 
toric, but much scenic interest 

The majority traveled by train to 
Portarlington Station, where cars and 
mragonnettes were in waiting. The ar- 
rangements, which were carried out 
under the personal supervision of Lord 
Walter Fitzgerald and Sir Arthur Vi- 
cars, K. C. V. O., F. S. A., the hon. sec- 
retaries, were admirable, and the mem- 
bers and visitors were unanimous in 
voting the outing the most enjoyable 
yet provided for them. 

The party included the following: 
The Earl and Countess of Drogheda. 
the Duke of Lein^ter, Lord Walter 
Fitzgerald, Lord Frederick Fitzgerald, 
Lord George Fitzgerald, Lady Nesta 
Fitzgerald, Colonel Vigors, Mrs. and 
MisB Vigors, Sir Arthur Vicars, Ulster 
King at Arms; Hans Hendrick Aylmer, 
Miss Frances Walker, Miss Mabel 
Ponsonby, Mrs. Beth am. Mrs. Clarke, 
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Synnott, Fumess, 
Naas; Rev. Canon Adams, Miss Adams, 
Miss Ponsonby, Miss Tuthill. Mr. Jack- 
son, Kilkea, Mageney; Colonel W. 
Heighington, I>onard. Co. Wicklow; 
Rd. Wright, Prumplestown, Carlow; 
Rev. B. Kavanagh. P. P., Monastere- 
van; Thomas Kelly. Castletown; Rev. 
B. H. Waller, M. A., Rector of Athy; 
Mr. and Mrs. Fitzmaurice, Mrs. Hop- 
kins, the Dean of Kildare. and Mrs. 
Cowell. C. Drury, Mr. and Mrs. Free- 
man, Rev. C. Ganly, A. A. Shortt. Dr. 
and Mrs. Woollcombe, R. D. Walshe, 
W. Grove White, Crown Solicitor for 
tbe Co. Kildare. 

TINNAKILL. 

Starting at 10.40 A. M. from Portar- 
lington, a pleasant drive of four miles 
through a beautiful pastoral country 
brought the party to Tinnakill. On ar- 
riving here the party, under the guid- 
ance of Lord Walter Fitzgerald, pro- 
ceeded a short distance into the fields 
off the road, and inspected the ruins of 
the square tower of the Castle of the 
MacDonnells. They were found to be 
in a fair state of preservation, for 



which the credit is due to the tenant 
of the lands, who seems to take an 
unusually intelligent interest in pre- 
venting them from falling into a state 
of dilapidation. 

Lord Walter Fitzgerald read a short 
paper on this castle. In the year 1557, 
he said, the O'Mores of Leix, the 
O'Connors of Offaly, and their sub- 
septs, including the O'Dempseys, and 
others, were subdued, and out o^ the 
districts thus conquered, were formed 
the Queen's and King's Counties, while 
the lands were partitioned off among 
the military officers who had fought 
against the native chiefs. 

Among those so rewarded was a cap- 
tain of Gallowglass, of Highland Scotch 
descent, named Calvagh MacTurlough 
MacDonnell, to whom a grant was 
made in 1563 of the Castle of Tinnakill 
and the surrounding townlands, which 
he was to hold by knight's service at a 
rent of 2d. an acre for the first seven 
years, and 3d. an acre onward. 

The MacDonnells of the Queen's 
County and those of the County An- 
trim came from the same stock, their 
common ancestor being Angus Oge 
MacDonnell, Lord of the Isles. Noth- 
ing noteworthy was known of the Mac- 
Donnells in Queen's County until 1641. 
when James MacDonnell. though only 
about 24 years of age. was a colonel in 
the ranks of the Confederate Catholics, 
and a reward of £400 was offered for 
his head. His estates were forfeited, 
and in 1650 the castle and lands of 
Tinnakill were granted to a William 
Leggatt. 

EMO. 

Having resumed their seats a drive 
of about four miles brought the excur- 
sionists to Emo Park demesne 
through which they were allowed to 
pass by kind permission of Mr. R. 
FitzHerbert, the agent to the trustees 
of the Portarlington Estate. No halt 
was made at Emo — a pretty little ham- 
let at one of the entrance gates — but 
Lord Walter Fitzgerald, with that en- 
ergy which has characterized his ef- 
forts on behalf of the Society since its 
inception, had prepared a short record 
of its historical associations, of which 
the following is a summary: 

In 1570 the lands of Emo were grant- 
ed to one John Harries, gent., and after 
changing hands many times, either be- 
cause of the outlawry of some one of 
the successive possessors or from some 



The Annual 



other cause, were sold -by Sir Henry 
Bennett (Earl of Arlington) to Sir 
Patrick Trant, a Jacobite, who met 
the same fate as some of his predeces- 
sors in the place, and was outlawed in 
1601. 

Eventually the lands were purchased 
by Ephraim Dawson, ancestor of the 
Earls of Portarlington, from an Eng- 
lish manufacturing company, known 
as the Hollow Blades Company. Only 
the site of the old Castle of Emo re- 
mained, and, though there was a tra- 
dition that a monastery existed there 
at one time, no historical proof of it 
could be found. There is a very inter- 
esting baptismal font in the grounds 
between the house and the gardens, 
evidently dating from the fifteenth 
century. 

The drive through Emo Park was 
highly enjoyable. The demesne is pic- 
turesquely wooded, and, although the 
ravages of the late storm were pain- 
fully apparent on every side, the 
grounds are so admirably kept that 
their beauty was but little impaired. 

PORTARLINGTON. 

A further run of four miles brought 
the party once more to Portarlington, 
where luncheon was excellently served 
by Mr. W. J. Browne, of the Imperial 
Hotel. The stay here was of about an 
hour's duration, so that the more en- 
thusiastic antiquarians had leisure to 
peruse I ord Walter Fitzgerald's notes 
on the history of the district. 

In olden days this locality lay in the 
ancient territory of Clanmaliere. be- 
longing to the O'Dempsey sept, but In 
1641 the head of the clan was outlawed 
for participation in the rebellion and 
his estates were forfeited, and in 1666 
were granted to Lord Arlington. In 
the following year Lord Arlington ob- 
tained a charter constituting the new 
settlement he had made of En?rsh 
Protestants a borough, and changing 
the name of Cooltederry ("Tanners' 
Corner") to Portarlington. 

Before Ms death in 1685 Lord Ar- 
lington sold the estates to Sir Patrick 
Trant, a hot Jacobite, who retired to 
France after th<i surrender of Lim- 
erick. The estates were forfeited, and 
were granted to a Frenchman named 
Henri de Massue. * who was created 
Baron Portarlington, and later Earl of 
Gal way. 

In 1696 I ord Gal way colonizpd the 
place with French and Dutch Hugue- 

%^ — 



356 



THE GAEL 



October, I903* 



note and officers of the recently-dis- 
banded French regiments. Under the 
''Act of Reassumption/' Lord Oalway's 
estates passed to the Crown, and were 
sold in 1703 to the Hollow Blades Co., 
who, in turn, sold them to Ephraim 
Dawson, the son of a collector of rev- 
enue at Carrickfergus, the ancestor of 
the Earls of Portarlington. 

Except for the quaint, wide, semi- 
circular approaches in front of some of 
the houses in the town, there is noth- 
ing peculiar to catch the eye in this 
former Huguenot settlement. The 
Communion plate of solid' silver and 
the Crown bell, belonging to the 
French church are very interesting. 
They bear inscriptions in French, stat- 
ing they were presented to the French 
Church by Queen Carolina (wife of 
George H.). 

LEA CASTLE. 

An ancient Fitzgerald stronghold. 
Lea Castle, two miles from Portarling- 
ton, was the next place of call. These 
magnificent ruins, which are in splen- 
did preservation, looked most pictur- 
esque, portions being covered with a 
heavy mantle of Ivy. Lord Walter 
Fitzgerald read a paper, detailing the 
history of the place. Lea was the name 
of a large district which comprised the 
eastern half of the present barony of 
Portnahinch and the present barony of 
Offaly. It was then in the possession 
of the O'Kelly sept. 

As early as the commencement of 
the thirteenth century the Fitzgeralds' 
were in possession of Lea. By the State 
Papers it was shown that at a very 
early date the Fltzgeralds were in pos- 
session of Lea Castle, which they held 
by knight's service from William le 
Marshal and his heirs, and It was prov- 
ed that the castle was erected original- 
ly towards the end of the twelfth cen- 
tury, and was restored by the Fltzger- 
alds after repeated attacks and burn- 
ings by the native chiefs, and they 
made it the magnificent fortress its 
present ruins prove it to have been, 
and which could have still stood en- 
tire but for the use of gunpowder, to 
which it owed its destruction in 1650. 

The plan of the castle was originally 
an oblong building, with walls from 
eight to ten feet thick, having at each 
of the four corners a large high cir- 
cular tower. The walls of an extensive 
bawn which surrounded the keep or 
central castle still exist, as well as the 
barbican or gateway. 

Lord Walter then traced the record 
of the feuds between the Fltzgeralds 
and the De Burghs, and the war waged 
on the Pale, the driving out of the 
English garrisons from the castles they 
occupied in Oifaly. In 1279 reference 
was made to the "new town of Lea." 
which became an important borough, 
but not a trace of it now remains. In 
1307 the O'Connors burned the new 
town of Lea and laid siege to the cas- 
tle, but failed to take It, and were 
eventually driven off by a strong force 
under John, Baron of Off ally, aided by 
Edmund Butler, afterwards made Earl 
of Carrlck. 

In 1346 the Oibores of Leix were on 



the warpath, and during the month of 
April burned the Castle of Lea. Sub- 
sequently the territory was invaded by 
the Judiciary, and the Earl of Kildare 
and Olbore was forced to submit after 
a stout resistance. In 1422 the castle 
was again captured by the O'Dempseys, 
who were dispossessed in 1452 by the 
Earl of Ormonde, Lord Justice of Ire- 
land. 

In the month of June, 1534, Silken 
Thomas, son of the Earl of Kildare, 
having been informed falsely that his 
father had been beheaded in the Tower 
of London, resigned the office of Dep- 
uty Viceroy and rose in rebellion 
against Henry VIII., declared war 
against the Englishry, and to use an 
expression of "The Four Masters," 
"made a trampling sod of the land of 
Erin." 

After the suppression of the rebellion 
the castle was delivered to the Govern- 
ment to put a garrison in, and James 
Fitzgerald was appointed its constable, 
and as such he applied for two more 
gunners and more powder and shot 

During the rebellion of 1641 the cas- 
tle was seized by the Irish, but was re- 
taken by the Parliamentarians, but 
they were in turn delodged, and was 
ultimately— having again fallen into 
the hands of Parliamentarians — blown 
up by Cols. Hewson and Reynolds to 
prevent its future occupation by the 
Irish. The condition in which they left 
it was what it appears to-day. At the 
present time the Earl of Portarlington 
receives a head rent of £600 per year 
from the Manor of Lea. 

Th^ return Journey was made via 
Monasterevan to Moore Abbey. There 
the Countess of Drogheda read a paper 
on the history of the town, which 
showed much research, and was char- 
acterized by great lucidity. Afterwards 
the visitors were entertained at tea and 
shown various objects of artistic or 
antiquarian Interest Following new 
members admitted: Mrs. Synnott, 
Rev. E. Kavanagh, P. P.; Mr. Jackson, 
the Duke of Leinster, Colonel Heigh- 
ington, Mr. Rd. Wright Rev. E. H. 
Waller, M. A., and Mrs. Webber. This 
concluded the procedings of the day. 




rish Literary Socieiyof New 
York^ 

THE Constitution and By-Laws of 
the Irish Literary Society of 
New York have been handsome- 
ly printed in a neat booklet and issued 
to members. 

Copies can be had free, on applica- 
tion to the Secretary, Mr. John Qulnn, 
120 Broadway, New York. 

The House Committee of the Society 
is now in search of a suitable, perma- 
nent home and is engaged in making 
a selection from among a number of 
locations that have been suggested. 
When the headquarters has been se- 



lected and furnished the members will 
give a reception and housewarming to 
their friends. 
Extracts from the By-Laws: 

ARTICLE I. 

NaKB A17I> Objbot. 

Section 1. This Society shall be 
called "The Irish Literary Society of 
New York." 

Section 2. Its objects shall be the 
profnotion of the study of Irish litera- 
ture, the Irish language, Irish history, 
drama, music and art; the affording of 
a center of social and literary inter- 
course for persons of Irish birth, na- 
tionality or descent; and the acquisi- 
tion and maintenance of suitable 
rooms or a building for its library, and 
for the safe keeping of its property, 
and wherein meetings, lectures, dra- 
matic performances, musical entertain- 
ments and art exhibitions may be 
given from time to time. 

Section 3. The Society shall be un- 
sectarian and non-politlcaL 

ARTICLE VI. 
Membebship. 

Section 1. The active members of 
the Society shall be divided into two 
classes: resident and non-resident 
members. The number of non-resi- 
dent members shall be fixed by the 
Executive Committee from time to 
time. Non-resident members shall be 
those who reside during the whole 
year more than fifty miles from the 
City of New York. The Executive 
Committee shall have power to elect 
twelve honorary Vice-Presidents and 
forty honorary members. 

Section 2. Candidates for member- 
ship shall be persons of Irish birth or 
descent or of known devotion to the 
objects of the Society; they must be 
above twenty-one years of age and 
must be proposed by two members of 
the Society and their names entered 
in a book kept for that purpose, notice 
of which proposal shall be sent by the 
Secretary to the members of the So- 
ciety at least ten days previous to ac- 
tion by the Executive Committee. 



ARTICLE VIL 
Yearly Dues. 
Section 1. The yearly dues for resi- 
dent members shall be five dollars, 
payable within thirty days after each 
annual meeting. The yearly dues f6r 
non-resident members shall be three 
dollars, the first dues payable within 
sixty days after their election; and 
subsequent dues within sixty days af- 
ter each annual meeting. 

• ••••• 
Section 3. Honorary Viee-Presidentfi 

and honorary members shall not be re- 
quired to pay any dues. 

• ••••• 
Section 5. The Executive Commit 

tee may elect persojis to life member- 
ship in the Society'upon the payment 
of a life membership fee of one hun- 
dred dollars. 



Digiti 



ized by Google 



October, J903. 



THE GAEL. 



357 




Funeral of Rev* Eugene O'Growney* 



BY the time this issue of THE 
GAEL reaches the hands of its 
readers, all that is earthly of the 
Rev. Eugene O'Orowney will have been 
laid to its final rest in the cemetery at 
Maynooth College, Ireland. 

Father O'Growney was bom at Bal- 
lyfallon, Athboy, County Meath, in 
1863, and was only thirty-six years old 
when he died on October 18th, 1899, In 
the Sisters' Hospital at Los Angeles, 
California. 

On Saturday, September 12th, in San 
Francisco, the long sad Journey was 
begun, which will end in Ireland. On 
Friday, a Solemn Mass of Requiem was 
celebrated at St. Mary's Cathedral, San 
Francisco, by the Vicar General, Very 
Rev. J. J. Prendergast. Archbishop 
Rlordan pronounced the absolution. 

After the Mass, the body was es- 
corted to the railroad depot by the 
members of the Irish societies of the 
city, and was entrusted to Mr. Law- 
rence Brannick, of Los Angeles, who 
accompanied the remains to Chicago. 

On Tuesday, the remains of the de- 
ceased priest reached that city and 
were met at the depot by a deputation 
of representative Irishmen and were 
conveyed to the Cathedral of the Holy 
Name, where they were laid In state 
till next morning, when a High Mass 
of Requiem was celebrated by Very 
Rev. Andrew J. Morrisey, President of 
Notre Dame University. His Grace 
Archbishop Quigley and Bishop Mul- 
doon were present in the sanctuary, 
and gave the final blessing. 

After the services the members of 
the Irish societies present, consisting 
of the Seventh Regiment, Gaels and 
Hibernians, escorted the remains to 
the Lake Shore depot, for the Journey 
to New York. 

Mr. O'Donovan, of Philadelphia, it 
seems, had assumed charge of the ar- 
rangements in New York, and knowing 
the influential Leaguers in this city 
would not recognize him, had delegat- 
ed the arrangements to what is known 
here as the "Scotland Yard branch" of 
the Clan-na-Gael, which on this occa- 
sion was represented by a Mr. Cohal- 
an and a committee. This committee, 
as might be expected, bungled its part 
and as a result the remains of Father 
O'Growney arrived as baggage over the 
New York Central Railroad on Thurs- 
day, September 17th, about 3 P. M., un- 
attended and were put on a truck and 
wheeled under a dark shed at Depew 
Place, where they remained until 6 P. 
M., when they were discovered by Mr. 
Christopher O'Growney, brother of the 
deceased. 

The pallbearers who had shipped the 
remains in advance, arrived shortly 
after on a parlor car in high good hu- 



mor with themselves and beamed on 
everybody. Mr. O'Donovan and a dele- 
gation from the Clan-na-Gael received 
them and took them away. 

In this connection, it is proper to 
say that the Gaelic League as an or- 
ganization has never been identified or 
afllliated directly or indirectly with the 
Clan-na-Gael, or any other political or 
factional party, and the action of Mr. 
O'Donovan in connecting them with it. 
or in endeavoring to do so, cannot Be 
too severely condemned. 

The Gaelic League, until the advent 
of the Western element, has been en- 
tirely non-factional and non-political, 
and while its members as individuals 
may belong to any political party or 
organization they choose, yet, when 
meeting or acting as Gaelic Leaguers, 
they avoid those subjects lest they of- 
fend their colleagues and cause dissen- 
sion in the movement. 

At 8.30 P. M. about one hupdred and 
fifty persons had assembled, including 
twenty-four uniformed members of the 
Irish Volunteers. The remains were 
transferred to a hearse and a proces- 
sion formed, which, led by the Volun- 
teers, proceeded on foot very solemnly 
to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where brief 
services and the Rosary in Irish were 
said. 

Throughout Thursday night the 
body rested in St Bernard's and St 
Brigid's Chapel, guarded by details 
from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 
the Irish Volunteers and some mem- 
bers of the local branches of the 
Gaelic League. 

At 11 P. M. on Thursday a meeting 
was held at the Vanderbilt Hotel, at 
which Mr. Cohalan presided, when it 
was announced the manager of the 
Gunard Line Steamships had refused 
to permit a funeral or procession on 
their pier. The White Star Steam- 
ship Company, a competing line, 
would permit a procession but the 
Clan had bungled and neglected to as- 
certain the fact in time. After much 
discussion they finally decided to dis- 
pense with the proposed funeral pro- 
cession next day from the Cathedral to 
the pier, and adjourned. 

On the following morniúg the casket 
containing the body was placed on a 
catafalque, facing the high altar, and 
Rev. Dr. Michael J. Lavelle, Rector of 
the Cathedral, celebrated a Solemn Re- 
quiem Mass. Rev. Peter Cunniffe, C. 
S. S. R., of St. Alphonsus' Church, this 
city, preached the eulogy in Irish. 

Archbishop Farley was present in 
the sanctuary and gave the last bless- 
ing. A number of the clergy of the 
archdiocese were also present at the 
Mass. 

The body lay in state in the Cathe- 



dral until four o'clock Friday after- 
noon, when, escorted by a small guard 
of honor from the Irish Volunteers and 
a few pallbearers appointed by the 
Irish societies, it was quietly conveyed 
to the Cunard line *'Campania," which 
sailed on Saturday, September 19th, at 
2 P. M. 

For obvious reasons the press of New 
York had not been kept properly in- 
formed regarding the funeral arrange- 
ments, consequently only a few obsrure 
paragraphs appeared in the leading 
newspapers, and as the committee fail- 
ed to notify the public of the abandon- 
ment of the funeral procession to the 
steamship pier a large number of Gaels 
went to the Cathedral on Friday even- 
ing prepared to participate in the pro- 
cession, only to learn that it had taken 
place some hours before. 

The following persons accompanied 
the remains to Ireland: . Rev. J. K.. 
Fielding, Lawrence Brannick and P. C. 
B. O'Donovan, Father O'Growney 's 
youngest brother, Mr. Christopher 
O'Growney, who has been in this coun- 
try a short time, also accompanied the 
body to Ireland. 



Disposal of the O'G'owncy 
Funeral Fund. 

September 18th, 1903. 
Douglas Hyde, LL. D., President Gae- 
lic League. Dublin, Ireland. 
Dear Sir: — This letter will be hand- 
ed to you by Mr. Christopher O'Grow- 
ney, who has been sent to accompany 
the remains of his brother, the late 
Rev. Eugene O'Growney, from this 
country to Ireland. 

Enclosed you will find a draft on tbe 
Northern Banking Company of Ireland 
for £226 18s. 4d.. being the net amount 
of the O'Growney Funeral Fund (less 
expenses of collection and expense of 
sending Mr. Christopher O'Growney to 
Ireland and return), raised by THE 
GAEL, New York, for the purpose of 
translating the remains of Father 
O'Growney from Los Angeles. Cal., to 
Ireland, and which has not been re- 
quired for that purpose as the body is 
being removed by other parties. 

This money is sent you as President 
of the Gaelic League to hold as the 
nucleus of a fund to defray the cost of 
erecting a suitable monument over the 
grave of Father O'Growney. 

This fund was raised and was in 
hand at the National Convention of 
the Gaelic League in America, which 
was attempted to be held in Philadel- 
phia in the month of October last year. 
That convention unfortunately split 
into two factions which could not 
agree on several vital points indispen- 

DigitizedbyV^OOQlC ^_ 



358 



THE GAEL^ 



October, J903* 



sable to the peace and harmony of the 
League. 

One of the causes of dissension was 
the fact that one faction wanted to 
control the management of the 
O'Orowney funeral and desired to send 
as pallbearers and representatives of 
the Gaelic League of America certain 
men whom the other party considered 
eminently unfit for the honor. 

THE GAEL was in hopes that after 
a time the angry feelings engendered 
at the Convention would gradually die 
away and that both sides, by each con- 
ceding a little, would eventually come 
together and agree upon mutually suit- 
able representatives to accompany the 
remains. Because of this belief, and 
because all hopes of reconcilliation had 
not yet been abandoned THE GAEL 
took no steps towards removing the 
remains although we had, and still 
hold, a written authority to do so from 
the O'Growney family in Ireland, 
which authorization has not been re- 
voked or cancelled. 

The Western faction disinterred the 
remains, I presume without authority 
as it is not likely the family would is- 
sue formal permission to two different 
parties, and are now in this city on 
their way to Ireland. 

On a separate sheet please find a 
statement showing all receipts and ex- 
penditures in connection with the 
O'Growney Funeral Fund. 

Tlie O^Giowney Funeral Fund. 
Receipts and Expenditures. 

Up to and including September, 
1902, the total amount re- 
ceived from all sources and 
acknowledged in THE GAEL 
amounted to $1,524.60 

Additional small sums receiv- 
ed after September and not 
yet printed in THE GAEL. . 13.82 

Total received $1.537.82 

Amount expended in postage, 
printing, etc 227.88 

Net amount $1.309.94 

Interest at 4 per cent from 
September, 1902, to date 52.86 

Total $1,362.30 

Deduct expenses connected 
with sending Mr. Christo 
pher O'Growney to accom- 
pany the remains of his 
brother to Ireland and his 
return to America 256.66 

Net total $1.105.64 

The bank draft enclosed for £226-18 
-4 is the equivalent of above amount in 
English money. 

Very truly yours, 

Stephen J. Richardson. 



STATEMENT SHOWING AMOUNTS 
RECEIVED FOR THE O'GROWNEY 
FUNERAL FUND SINCE THE LAST 
REPORT PRINTED IN THE GAEL: 

Aug. 5. Prof. Kuno Meyer, New 
Brighton, England (£1) $4.87 

Aug. 23, David P. Sullivan, 
Stockbridge. Mass 50 



Sept. 2, Mrs. Eileen O'Brennan, 

Dayton, Ohio 50 

Sept 25, Rev. Francis Flan- 
nery, Coon, Bagnalstown, Ire- 
land 1.20 

Oct 11, collected by R. J. Shee- 
vers Milwaukee, Wis.: 

Rev. R. J. Roach $1.00 

R. J. Sheeran 1.00 

Annie Murphy 25 

Mrs. A. McQuade 10 

Mr. J. J. Durnin 10 

Mary E. Kennedy 10 

Charlotte Sheevers 25 

Thomas Trainor 1.00 

Pat Shannon 40 

Joseph Roddy 25 

Matt T. Sheevers 1.00 

Sarah Sheevers 40 

Pat O'Connor 40 

James J. Lynch 25 

Total 6.60 

Oct 15, T. P. O'Galligan, Brook- 
lyn, N. Y 2.00 

Oct 15, Wm. Johnson, Brooklyn. 25 
Oct 28, James Flanagan, Sonora, 

Mexico LOO 

Oct 29, A. Bunce, Bristol, Pa LOO 

Nov. 12, P. J. Shannon, Hamil- 
ton, Montana 1.00 

Feb. 2, 1903, A. Madden, Sonoma, 

Cal 1.60 

March 30, 1903, F. C. Cannon, 
Summit Hill, Pa LOO 

Total $13.81 






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ch)ioíx)he : 
ní fhéu-DAini-fi cox>La Aén oÍT>hche 50 

fOCAI^t, 

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fUAi|i pÁpip 
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C|ioít)he. 

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t«'|t fAébhAX)h leAUfA peAfA ch|iíche 

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léijhceAit -ohuinn ai^ Toheipe 
Dhénuif, lúnó, llélen A'f nÁ 'Oét|iT>]te j^n 

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peinneAt)h 
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cb|tuic ph.\ímh. 



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meipse i 

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-Dftuí-ohe, I 

tnétt-D ú-o jAn eApbAix>h, A5 éA5itAcb s : 
leAch-cftoim, I 

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m buÍT>he ; 
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peAti í, 
géti^ A5 Á m-bíx>heAnn CAirhneAmh, t.^il 

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Aihct)'Á T)AttAt)h, 1 

tc cttom-chiAch le f a"oa, Vó Aj^up u'- ' 
oÍTjhche, 
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nA 5 cftuinnchíochA n5eAtA, 
tlA 5-cnAéfth-pholr m-b|ieÁ5h, 1. t>»\'- 
chce, ip bjieAjh-ohA aih bich pii»h ; 
"Do 5h|iíp-lcACA f:hAnA> bhéuftpAT>h v^o'- 
peAmh T)o luchc jaIaji, 
O'p'SbhAip piAn món ai^i pheAftAibh, 
cf Ách T)eT)o T)hírh ; 
n^Á'p bínn libh le n'Aichfiip, 'p í An f^éif ín 
A chAHAim, 
tlAch Aotbhmn t)o'n "o-cAtAmh 'n A^t 
rhÁplAijcjh, 'p í bfiíjhirc. 1 



.sm^xoince. 
Ii 
tTlo tpuAJ nAÓ bpuilim 1 n-eijilnn éAoin '. 
'Sa 'oomAn A|i pAT), An cí^t 'p mó féite, 
'tl-Áic A mbíonn po]t-AoibneAp ip puAtr - 

ncAf pÁm, 
'riA scomnufoe Ann pin 1 bpocAip a céite. 

II. 
If bpónAé "oo biwAp A5 psAfAihAinc téirl. 
'5«r pt f t^ApA "oeójx le m' ^puAi-ó 50 C|ieun ; 

ttlAjl t)'pÁ5Ap ptÁn AICl, A5-OutCA|( AH pÁiie, 

áAoileAp 50 mbttippeATÓ mo époive leif ah 
bpétn. 

11 ', 

t)íonn lAeCAnu*» m' 015' A5 ceAÓc a|« Aip 

éú^Am, 
1 n-Aiptmj T>o éím nA cÁif x>e bA buAn, 
TlA h-ÁiceAÓA piubtAinn nuAifi bÍTÓCAp im'- 

Ó5UC, 
riA pÁipceAnnA jtApA, nA blÁÚA, nA b-uAnv 

IV. 
1p S^iAfip 30 bf uil T)eineAX) lem ponAp aji 

bionn p5AipeA-ó ah m' Aiplin5 mAJt ceti 

|ioim An n5pétm : 
An pA-OA 50 mbéi-ó An tÁ jcaL aj bpeACA'o 
nuAi|i béit)eA-o 1 n-éipinn nA ^cuipm p aoi 



peun ? 

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October, 1903. 



THE GAEL. 



The Jokers* Corne: 




"A little nonflense now and then 
18 relished by the wisest men." 



WHAT DID SHB MEAN? 

RS. O'CALLAGHAN— "I can't fee 
why my husband should be 
Jealous of me." 
Her Frtend — "No one can, my dear." 



M 



NBVbR SATISFIED. 

SHB — "Do you love me as much 
when you are away from me?" 
He (fervently)— "I love you 
more, darling." 

She (sighing)— "I wish I could be 
with you then." 



BRANNIGAN— "The doctor told me 
to get a porous plasther for roe 
stomach." 
Druggist— "Yes, sir; what sort do 
you want?" 

Brannigan— " 'Tis little I care what 
sort it is so long as 'tis aisily digest- 



dear, but that cough of yours has wor- 
ried me so of late, and you take such 
poor care of your health, and — and you 
don't know how anxious I've been— 
and, oh, if I were to lose you, my dar- 
ling!" (bursting into tears). 

Toung Husband: "There, there, 
dear; your fondness for me has in- 
spired foolish and unnecessary fears. 
I'm all right. Tou must not be alarm- 
ed; but I'll see the physician, of 
course, Just to satisfy you. Is it Dr. 
Fleet?" 

Young Wife: "No; it is not a doc- 
tor, it's a— a life insurance agent." 



BBNFPICI^L. 

ELECTION AGENT: "That was a 
fine speech our candidate made 
on the agricultural question, 
wasn't it?" 

Farmer Brady: "Oh, ay, it wasn't 
bad; but a couple o' nights good rain 
would a done a sight more good." 



THE schoolmaster called to ask 
why Johnny, the eldest boy, had 
not been to school. 
"Why! he was thirteen last week, 
sir," said the mother. "I am sure he 
has had schooling enough." 

"Thirteen, Mrs. Hennessy!" said 
the teacher, "why that is nothing. I 
did not finish my education until I 
was three-and-twenty." 

"But, sir," said the mother, proudly, 
"my Johnny is no such blockhead as 
that, sir." 



LIMITS TO HIS MALNESS 

MRS. CASEY— "If I were to die, 
Phil, what would you do?" 
Mr. Casey— "I'd be nearly 
crazy." 

Mrs. C^ey — "Would you marry 
again?" 

Mr. Casey— "No; I wouldn't be that 
crajKy." 



TAMSON— "So puir auld McNab is 
deid?" 
Macgregor — "Is he, mon? Has 
he left onything?" 

Tamson— "He's left everything he 
possessed to the Orphanage." 

Macgregor— "Guid! I kent he had 
aye a big heart Hoo muckle has he 
left to that instituUon?" 

Tamson — "Three sons an' five doch- 
ters!" 



IMPORTANT BUSINESS. 

YOUNG WIFE: "There's a gentle- 
man in the library who wishes 
te see you." 
Young Husband: "Do you know 
who it is?" 
Young Wife: "You must forgive me, 



KIDOINO THR NBTOHBORS 

TERENCE O'GRADY had only 
been married a week, but his 
bride was already making 
things lively in the little house in 
Ballybunion. He had been working 
for three hours in his little garden 



3S9 

when Bridget came to the back door 
and called out in strident tones that 
could be heard down the street: 

"Terence, me boy, come into tay, 
toast and foive eggs." 

Terence dropped his spade in as- 
tonishment and ran into the kitchen. 

"Shure, Bridget, alannah, ye're only 
coddin' me," he said. 

"Nay, Terence," replied Bridget, 
"it's not ye, ifs the naybors Vm cod- 
din'!" 



HE NEVER USED A LANTERN. 

AN old country gentleman was re- 
turning home late one night, 
and discovered a young man 
with a lantern under his kitchen win- 
dow, who, when asked his business, 
stated tbat he had only come courting. 

"Come what?" cried the angry gen- 
tleman. 

"Courting, sir. I'm courting Mary." 

"If that be true, what do you want 
a lantern for? I never used one when 
I was a young man." 

"No, sir," was the lover's reply, "I 
don't think ye did. Judging by the 
looks of the missus." 



ON THE SAFE SIDE. 

MAGISTRATE (to witness): "Why 
didn't you go to the help of the 
defendant in the fight?" 
Witness: "I knew it was a faction 
flg^t but I didn't know which one of 
them was going to be the defendant." 



A KEEN old Glasgow "curler," who 
always went on the ice wearing 
a cap having useful flaps which 
he pulled down over his ears, appear- 
ed one day in a new head-gear. 

"Hallo!" said a friend. "Where's yer 
auld lug- warmer?" 

"Ah, I've never worn it since my ac^ 
cident!" 

"Accident? I'm sorry to hear it. 
What was it?" 

"A man offered me a dram o' whus- 
key an' wi' the dashed flaps I didna 
hear him!" 



^^Y' 



^OUR majesty," said the cook of 
the King of the Cannibal Isl- 
ands, "how will you have the 
latest captive prepared?" 

"I like to cook my game in some 
way appropriate to their national char-< 
acteristlcs," replied the King. "Of 
what nation is the captive?" 

"He is an Irishman, your majesty. 
Is it your pleasure that he be done in- 
to an Irish stew?" 

"Oh, no. You may make soup of 
him." 

"But is that characteristic of the 
Irish, your majesty?" asked the chef 
politely. 

"Certainly it is. That is the way 
they cook young men themselves in 
Ireland." 

"I beg your pardon, sire, but I r.evar 
heard of it" 

"That, my dear, sir, is because you 
have not as much time to read as I 
have. I, sir, have often met, in my 
reading about Irishmen, with the ex« 
pression, 'a broth of a boy.' **—The- 
Western Watchman.^^ ^ 

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MR. H. J. THADDEUS, the Irish 
painter, whose portraits of 
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The Gael 

(Ail SAOtiAt.) 



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THE calms or giant graves at Bo- 
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Professor Knorr, of the Kiel Museum 
of Antiquities. One grave has already 
been opened up, in which two urns and 
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length, were found. 

A stone grave three metres long and 
one hundred and seventy centimetres 
wide, containing a skeleton supposed 
to be over three thousand years old, 
was also laid bare. The work is to be 
continued, as it is supposed that an 
ancient cemetery or place of sacrifice 
existed there formerly — St. James's 
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heart- moving a» the Angclns which holds Millets 
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without feeling a breath of healthy air paMS through 
the lungs, and a plenMant twitching at the heart sncb 
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with English Translations, Notes and Glos- 
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cua\ cioinne ni$ riA h-iouu^M-oe." 

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Vol. Ill — ••T)43;nc.\ <\ot)A5^Áin uí riAt- 
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Vol. IV.— •poux^s fe^xs-A Ail émmn," 

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Brian Boru." By Daniel Ortlly." 

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Aoff. - 
Sept.- * 
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Feb.- 
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