Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-16
FOREIGN LITERATURE.
Sketches of Ireland Sirty Years .ae


Is picture of Irish and social opinions such they
existed towards the close of the last century, when the first
flower OF the earth and first gem Of the sea- an nde-
pendent or rather isolated kingdom, and the Union had
not deprived Ireland of her NATIONALITY = which, sooh
say not much to boast Of little allowance should
perhaps be made for former times than made the author of
the volume before u.s. II abstract the peculiar cruelty feo
city Celtic and the rich groesquenes Of the Irish character
from the picture, rate Ireland hundred hundred and fifty
behind England and France, and look the that
enacted in the streets of Paris and London by the fash
ionabe bloods of the seventeenth century, the riots
drunkenness Dwellings, and forth, Of this volume, will
OF themselves seem very unexampled is the peculiar
character they possess the mixture Of the horrible and the
udcrous, with the richness ALL that chiefly gives pquan
cy TO the matter AT the time, things Irish
enough and show both the awessness Of the country and the
moral Obliquity of the people-abduction, for example
Abduction or forcby carrying off heiresses, another
oil those crying evils which formerly afflicted Ireland but 1t
outrage agreeable the spirit Of the times and
congenal the ardent and romantic character Of the natives
that considered an achievement creditabe to the man.
and matter Of boast and exuaton to the
can association formed in the south of ireland which
could not have existed other country association
abduction club, the members of which bound them
selves by oath to assist in off such young
fixed upon by any members They had enissaries
and every house, who communicated norma-
ton of parcularhe extent of the girls fortune the
and circumstances of the family, with details of their intentions
and domestic arrangements and movements When girl
thus pointed the members drew os but generally
tossed up for her, and immediate taken
her for the fortunate by all the rest No class OF
ciey exempt from their visits and opuen farmers
well the gentry subject to these engagements of the
clubs, according to their rank life.
"The persons who usually concerned in such
clubs class OF Astounding in Ireland called squ
reens They were the younger connexions of resec
table families, having little patrmony of their but
who scorned demean themselves by any useful profitable
pursuit !"
The topics of these Sketches of Ireland Srty Years Ago
pretty The outward life of the capital exhi
bits the general state of Dublin society, in its rows
fights &C., with extinct genera--such as civic
professions and shoeblacks. Dueng and duelss occupy
prominent place, with abducons as we have seen the
WI is Mt
execution of the two gentlemen ruans who carried them
off The convvialy of those days, and various other
social traits of the men Of 49, and earer presented
the reader with biographical notices OF several remarkable
persons, exempa of the very age and body of the tme
There are also several topics that have less appropriate
place IN the Irish social pcuresuch slang songs robbers
and executions which might be matched in this country du
ring that age, possibly later Lord Cares visitation ofthe
Dublin University to inquire into secret societies. TO which
Moore aludes in his biographical preces, appears have
been used because the writer had been furnished with the
materials few other topics genera-"humors,
ancestors would have ad embodied in club society,"
but not containing any thing peculiarly Irish beyond the oca
/ lily and the general traits.
To what degree of originality, derivation knowledge
direct from life, Sketches Of Ireland Srty Years Ago may
be entitled is not quite certain The author frequently
speaks from hmsef but there little in his statements
which could not be acquired from memoirs and periodical
works Of the day. well dgesed Sometimes he evidently
derives particular facts anecdotes from living witnesses
at other times he draws upon authorities whom he mentions
and now and then he back to period beyond the
chiefly assisted in the production, furnishes remarkable
picture of society which existed within the recollection of
thousands now alive Travelling observers speak the great
economical advances that have been made in Ireland of late
yeais IN improved houses and the other appliances of COM
fort and accommodation yet the improvement what may
be termed social morals would have been greater
Scenes like these are no longer enacted in Dublin
Among the lower orders feud and deadly hostility had
between the Liberty boys taors and OF
the Coombe, and the Omond boys butchers lived in
Ormond Market on Ormond Quay which caused frequent
S of mar Twin
reets and particularly the quays bridges were mpas-
sable n consequence OF the battles of these parties The
descending upper regions beyond Thomas street.
poured down their opponents bellows they opposed by
the butcher and contest commenced the quays which
extended from Essex to Island Bridge The shops were clos
ed all business suspended the sober and peaceabc compelled
to keep their houses and those whose occupations led them
through the streets where the begerents engaged were
sopped while the of stones and other missiles was car
red the river and the bridges taken and re-
taken by the hostile parties Ii win hardly be believed that
Tor whole the intercourse of the city interrupted by
the feuds of these factions The few miserable wachmen in
efficient Tor any purpose Of protection looked in terror
and thought themselves well acquitted Of their they
capped from stick and friend of has told us that
he has down to Essex Bridge when he has
ed that OF those battles raging quietly ON
the battlements for whole day looking at the combat in
which above thousand men were engaged
These teuds terminated sometimes frightfu cxcesses
The butchers used their knives their
but for purpose then common in the barbarous
ing the person ncuaby lame for life On one OCCASION after
defeat of the Oond boys those of the Liberty retaaed in
manner still more barbarous and revolving they dragged the
persons they seized TO their Market dslodgng the meat
they found there hooked the BY the laws and retired
leaving the butchers hanging their own stalls
The spirit OF the times led the highest grade and
responsibility join with the dregs market in out
RACES entirely forgetu of the feelings their order then inn
measuraby exclusive in their ideas OF gentleman than
and the young aristocrat who would an
toerabe degradation be seen with an hon
est merchant however respectable, with singular nconss
tency, made boast OF his intimate acquaintance with
less of butchers aud oaporter The of
Trinity College particularly prone to Join in the ARRAYS
between the bellgerents and generally united
those of the Liberty boys against the butchers
sion several OF them seized by the latter the great
terror OF their friends reported they hanged up
the stalls in retaliation for the cruelty of the par
OF wachrnen sufficiently strong length collected by
the authorities and they proceeded Ormond Market there
they rghtiu spectaclea number OF college lads in
their gowns aud caps hanging the hooks. On examination,
however, IL found that butchers plying their youth
and respecting their rank had only hung by
bands OF their breeches where they remained helpless
deed, as il they we're suspended by the neck"
"lnIsH BUcKsI their practice of small por-
ton OF the scabbar of the which every then wore
and prick or pink the persons with whom they quarelled
with naked points, which sufficiently prouded inct
considerable PAIN but sufficient DEATH When
this was intended greater length of blade uncovered
BARRIERS at that time essential persons bucks going
parties as no could then appear without his hair deliberately
dressed and powdered The disappointment OF barber
therefore sentence exclusion dinner, supper party
or ball. where fashionable might well appear without
his head without powder and pomaum. When unfor
unate rscur disappointed he the particuar object OF
their rage and more than il is said put death by