The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-04-22
CEAD MILE FAILTE.

1t Is perhaps not generally known whence
the famous expression of Irish hospi.
f tally, Dead Mile Fdilte, was taken. Il
Room, and is thus translated by Furlong
hundred thousand wecomss
Eieeu a koon'
A bundled thousand welcomes,
with comes in store
Till love aud lie are o'er
Eileen " Rocn
There are two songs entitled Eileen a
Roon, Ellen, the secret treasure of ma
Heart The old version. from which the
| above stanzt IS taken, bears internal evi
dence of antiquity. The first line OF the
second stanza of 1t, 81 would spe nd a COW
10 entertain thee proves taat 10 was com
| posed before coined money was in general
use. The following is esteemed the most
| probable account Of the circumstances
which gave rise 10 it,
Carol ODa'y, commonly called Mac
Caomh lnsI Cneamhs. brother to Douosh
More ODaiv, man of much consequence
In ConnauGht, WAS one of the most accom-
plshed gentlemen OF his time, and particu- |
IarIy excelied in poetry and music. He |
PAID his addresses to Ellen, the daughter of |
chieftan named tvanagh, a lovely and |
amfa6ie young girl, WHO returned his af-
lection, bet her friends disappro we'd of the
connection. ODaly was obliged to leave
the country for some time, and they awaited
themselves OF the opportunity which his
hGsence al Afforded, OF lmpressing on the
mind of Ellen a belief of bis fasehood. and
OF his having gone TO be married to an.
"lher; alter some time they pre- vailed on
ner to consent 10 marry a rival of O'DaIy.
l ne day wGs fixed for the nuptials, bat
y DAILY returned the evening before. I'm s
der tne hrst impression of his feelings, he
sought wild and sequescered spot on tue
'ea shore, and inspired by love. compoeed l
he song OF Eileen Room, which remains ,
% thls time an exquisite memorial OF his
xii and sersibillty. Disguised as n har-
]er, he gained access among the crowd that
hropged to the wedding. 1t happened Z
hat he was called upon by Ellen herself to +
'lay. 1t was then, touching his harp with +
III the pathetic sensibility which the in =
erestlng occasion inspired, he infused his p
"n feelings into the song be had com s.
osed, and breathed into his 'softeued B
train, > the very soul of pensive melody. <
In the first staDzs he intimates. accord e
'g to the Irish idiom, that he would walk L
nth her, that is, that he would be her
artner, or only love for life. In the M
acond, that he would entertain her, and OF
lord her every delight. After this he
'nderly asks her to depart with him, or
J the impressive manner of the original,
Wilt thou stay, or wilt thou come with
70, Eileen Room She soon felt the force
this tender appeal, and replied in the =
hrmative; on which, in an ecstacy of de- j
sht, he bursts forth into his hundred
ousand Welcomes To reward his fideli-
and affection, his fair ore contrived to "
o with him. that very night"
The other version was composed by a
unster bard of the seventeenth century,
BIO endeavored to excel, by a profusion of ,
'etic establishment, the original and
'eetly simple song OF Eileen Room. The
flowing is u specimen of the translation
it, by John Dalton, Esq: -
Blind 10 all else but thee
Eileen a Room,
Ny eyes only ache see.
Eileen a Room
My ears banquet on thy praise
Pride ana pleasure my days,
Source OF all hsppiner 81
Eileen Roon
Fl andal is said to have declared that he
)uld rather be the author of Eileen a -
bon than of the must exquisite of his mu- U
al compositions. Yet 1t has been palm L
upon the public under the name of
'biR A8air, Scotch melody. Burns
serted that it and Molly Astore, which he
rmed 'Gramachree,' were both SEQ, Oh
was in error but the Circumstance e Ia /.
oofof their merit, and his taste. Robin
lair himself was an Irishman he was
cestor of Viecount Wordsworth, lived at
'llyPark, in tho county of Wicklow and (
rly in the last century was a member of s
g Irish Parliament.