Morning journal and courier., 1888-10-13


 the mouRtains-True Irish Hospital.
 1eY-The Cry for Freedom.
 CARDoNAGH, Ireland, Oct. 3. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 With eyes and heart wide open, one could never tire of lettering wanderings in wild, sweet Inishowen, the most northern district of Ireland. In form like a square standing upon the inverted apex of one of its angles at Derry at the south, it's opposite angle pisrees the Atlantic at the north with brave MaIin Head. Its eastern and western angles reach into LoughsFoyls and Lough Swilly, the great northern ocean estuaries. Perhaps it is forty Irish miles from point to point of angle either way. Accees to this witching region is had but for few miles from Der- ry along Loagh Swilly's shores by railway. If you will know it's beauties you must ride upon jaunting car, find blarneying boat man who we'll knows the dangerous eddies, swirls and rips of the wild coasts, or better than all, trust as did for one hundred and fifty Irish miles of tramping, to your own aggarious mood, stout legs, fine black thorn stick, and that most genial and ample thing on earth, the hospitality of the lowly Irish.
 Of this famed region, celebrated the world over for its fierce and warlike chieftains of ancient days. and true to it's prestige of old en prowsss for it's all oonqaering spirit of to-day, "the rale Inishowen" poteen, against which the mightiest potentate has not power to stand on his feet one short day or night, 6 few historical facts may be agreeably re- called. It derived it's name from Kinel Owen, 8 son of the Great Nial, or Nial of the Nine Hostages. When the blush of the morn was breaking over the fifth century the latter bold monarch divided Ireland be- tween his twelve sons. This region then fell to the lot of Eogan or Owen, who gave 1t the name of Inishowen, or the Island of Owen; as the great loughs of Foyle and Swilly swept across the then narrow, shallow neck now reclaimed, which in "slob land" now joins Inishowen and Derry. The valorous families descending from this branch of the northern Hi-Niall were the MacLeughlins; the Di-Armid; the O'Deerys (hence Deery or Derry, the original name of Londonderry, the ancient acropolis of the North); the O'Caercallain and the O'Gormlys. The O'Dogherties, family of the great Conel- lian stock, from whom the ancient region of Tirconnell received it's name, being the "ai- syest drinkers," as the legends have it, in time brought all these clans under dominion; though the rival houses ever waged destrue- tive war with each other, and do betimes in all lands where they may gather to this day. But finally the Tirconnell branch prevailed over all, and held their power unbroken un- G.YkI af l1, hrS Sha iah nd Scotch in Ulster some two hundred years ago. But Inishowen was ever region unto itself The law prevailed-in the air above only, as it were. The bold chieftains and ! brawny followers gave more than one famous | battle to the Orange soldiery, long after ssRoarirR Meg, had ceased to below of | James' defeat from the ramparts of Derry. | And indeed within the half century many a proud squad of red-coats, charging into the misty mountains for offenders and the sake 1 of the laws awe, have come back in great 1 speed down the Bunorana road, in the same way and for the same reason that Pitoairn's men took fine run from old Concord town, | where
 | By the rude bridge that spanned the flood, | Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,.
 And fired the shot heard round the world
 with broken bones and cracked skulls at tho hands of the lively lads of Inishowen. But might and want and time will rot out tht
 heart of even the bravest and freest; and
 gradually the robbers of lands and destroyer
 of homes have pushed their grasp in tn,
 name of the king or the queen into the val
 leys, along the fair rivers, over the grand
 mountains and laid lasting hold upon all
 Here and there a village has followed Bu
 race has been nearly extirpared. Foreig1
 masters have built halls and castles Blood
 less agents wiring the last drop of blood iron
 the white slaves of Iniehowen. The last o 1, the Owens, the O'Dogherties, the TirconnelI huddle in vile huts and dig the soil lik beasts that their masters may in opulenc discuss details of the terms of their finger , ing starvation. And so while the grandeu l and beauty of the land lift the soul to tn
 very heaven. this is why there is ttnge O sadness in ones journeyings; and why, whel the peasants say tue eternal nists of tn , mountains are from the tears of the goo,
 fairies 'skeening' for the dead g1ories of th
 region, there is pathetic similitude in thi tender legend of Inishowen. ! If you are good walker you will easil , reach Neville, on the east shore some twent
 miles from Derry, in one day, and have tim
 besides for the beauties of Lough Foyle, a the road stretches along it's western edge al the fair way. Sir Walter Scott thought tha