The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-01-15
Miscellany.
Who Was SheT


A number of eminent public personages
have been charged with originating the IA
nous question "Who is she?"-the meaning
OF which is, that certain character more or
less distinguished never heard of scrape
happening, or crime committed, OF OF any
thing turning up of mischevious nature,
without asking "who is she ?" thus stating his
belief that a woman was the cause of it ALL
Without endorsing this old rogue's assump-
ton, it must be admitted that the ladies have
been the means Of bringing about some rath-
er remarkable catastrophes. "Who was she?"
in the case of the Fenians? She was Der
,vorgilla, an Irish lady who was born and
brought up before Plantagenets reigned in
England. Sharon Turner says she was the
wife OF the King of Meath, and the same DO
sition is assigned her by other writers; but
Thomas Moore, who ought to have known
Irish history better than them all, and who
probably is right,-says she was the wife OF
Tierna ORuarc, Lord of Breffny, which is in
eastern Connausht. Whatever her husbands
dominlons, she ran away with Dermot Mac
Murchad, King of Leinster, A. ID. 1153.-or
he ran away with her, or they ran away to-
gether, which is mostly the way of doing ie in
such cases. This elopement is ordinarily put
in the year 11e6, in order the more CLOSELY to
connect it with Dermots appeal to Henry H.,
of England for aid against the Irish alliance,
including his own subjects, by which he was
overthrown, and compelled to leave Ireland,
Dervorgills was taken from Dermot wears be-
fore his overthrow, but circumstances pre-
vented his then being sufficiently punished
for his crime aand it does not follow that there
was no connection with that crime and his
downfall. Iierna O'Ruarc commanded the
army that drove Dermot ont of Leinster, and
forced him to fly to England. Dermot re-
celved aid in England under Henry II's pat.
ronage; and at the head of those who aided
hlm was Earl trongbow,-Richard de Glare.
Earl OF Pembroke.-to whom he gave his
daughter Eva in marriage, and secured him
the right TO succeed to the throne OF Leinster
Inc hrst OF the foreigners who entered Ire
land under this arrangement landed in Nav
1169, so that in little more than wear sew
en- centuries will have elapsed since the be-
ginning or the most astonishing of feuds.-a
1eud that seems to be more fresh than when
1t began. 4 Robert Fitz- Stephen commanded
the first party of Anglo ormans that enter
ed Ireland, Strongbow going over later. He
was an Legitimate son of Henry l., last of the
sons OF the Conqueror who reigned over Eno-
land. Whether King Dermot was driven
from his throne and his country because of
his having taken Dorvorgilla or not, it is cor
tam that he did take her. and that be was the.
man whose action fist brought those foreign
ers into Ireland who have been such plag9es
to her,-and so to him we must assign the or
lgin OF what is now called Fenianism. How
far Dervorgia was blamable for the evil It is
dlmcult to say. Her husband.was among the
early victims of the invasion, as he was Slain
by one Of the Fitzgeralds in 1852 and his head
sent to England, after having been placed
over one OF the gates of Dublin, while his
body was buried with the heels upward. In
the latter part of his life he was ruler over
part of Meath, which is the reason, prehaps
that Dorvorgilla is sometimes called the Queen
OF Meath; and Meath was given to De Lacy.
one OF the invaders. He was murdered on
suspicion of treachery, when about to hold
conference with De Lacy. The Quarrel fins
began has endured for more than twenty gen.
erations, and, for all that appears, it NAV en-
dure tor forty more. There is nothing like
1t In all history, and probably there never
VIII be any thing like it.-Boston Traeller.