Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-06

| sRrwurx CIVILIZATION AND THE nDNorEsr KRAs
| or RELATIONSHIPS CLAIMS OF A HEROIC PAST
HOW TIE RELIC WAS RESTORED.
| tcopyrirhtsd. 1881
| Special correspondsnce Of THE EVENING star
LONDONDERRY. IRELAND. Sept 90, 1888.
| To be exact about the matter from an Irish
standpoint my nrst journey afoot in Ireland was
| upon the proud and dizzy heights of an Irish
Jaunting-car to my ancient inn, where / was
awakened repeatedly during the livelong night by
| the soft cuddling mumurs OF the ducks and geese
in the stable-yard below my window, to ind my
self clutching the posts and bars OF the iron bed
stead, Is II again fighting for occupancy Of my
state-room berth at sea- The next was great
sail altogether up the river Foyle,
w bses n sss Ssf the I%ount'n
OF the world, John Donohue who will blarney ten
shilnngs out OF your pocket for a .'bobs" service
IN tne wink ,l OK an eye. The next was genuine
Tramp OF fuly 30 miles land there's nothing longer
than an Irish mile save q true list Of the Irish
saints more power to themD among the wild
poteen sweet as the dews from Heaven. is dis
uiied wholly outside the unpleasant geography Of
and Sav ana Az ,h 1ne next was glorious tramp TO
All Irish Pagan antiquities. the Grianan OF ALE ach
HGRoIo PAST.
the Grianan Is quite unknown to Americans and
Englishmen, who usually deem a drive about Dub
| lin town,
Ashy at killarney,
An the Stone of the Barney,
esumcient insight into Irish scene, history and
character for drawing ROOM literary and political
students Of their own antiquities, comprehend
little OF tts SURPRISING Importance as an tndubta-
pie monument TO the truth OF their own claims Of
EhgV ancestry extending for thousands Ut years
behind the advent Of the Christian era. And II
was but few weeks since that the Royal Histori-
cal and Archaeological Society or Ireland-wnose
tnough neglected fields Of Irish antiquities during
inc past quarter century, nave done more than all
Ing The Irish history OF rubbish, and stemmng for
ever the hood Ut a worlds rldicule against Irish
SneT S se hes Pagan
the grand relic, now restored whose existence was
known TO Ptolemy In the second century, and
may exceed 1900 years. And SO, as nobody with
stan, and pen, In his hand was at the Grianan
stepped singh and early" with nne sense Of Ella
morning.
OVER AN ANCIENT ROAD.
Round the old walls OF Derry / went (nobody
calls the city anything else in Ireland where 1.-THE
devil and Mr.. Walker" we're suppositltiously hotly
engaged just 200 years ago, for which Mr.. Walker
got costly monument; down the crumbl1ng stone
steps and through the grim archways OF Snip
quay Gate with clank and clatter that disturbed
the naughty "polls" In their holdings; across The
echOing spaces OF Watersde Place; into the strand
past the wharves and ship-yar6s, with glimpse
at the purple-black waters OF Tough FOyleNnder
the shadows OF the forest-crowned hills OF County
Londonderry, with ,he weird, sharply-etched
ridges OF Antrim beyond; on beyond the sy camOre-
hooded villcs OF the Derry butchers and bakers
Who with their creSts o. sheeps'-heads rampant
and nour-sacks couchant, have taken possession Of
the q, eat ualls OF mllordS Knockemdown and Kill
lemeariy; with lively pace a.Ong the ancient
Bucrana road; and then past Sherifs mountain,
for the hour and my quest; into the nm
old gray and silent, ghostly. though pal
pable, presences OF an Irlsn country morning.
How Old Is this Ir!Sn road, blancned as tue Walls
OF the cabins beside 1t, olanched as the skinny
faces OF the white slaves within tuem whose I'M
shoe feet have never touched tenderer sandals
than pitiess stones? ASK OF the wraiths OF St.
Coiumbklll, OF st. Mura and OF ST. Patrick They
trOd II on missions OF peace far more than thou
vain, father or Mali OF the Nine Hostages, who
assembled the throne OF Ireland In 35S; OF
rsiUn 1hs rsa ,n ., WIG So commenced ms
wralths OF the Tuatha-De-Da the Fir BOlgs,
the Fomorians, In the night OF the Vastly centuries
beyond them. II you do, somehow here, alone. In
the gray and shadows or wild Donegals hills you
Will receive answer TO the whole "lrish question"
like blade OF binding light from Heaven cutting
TO the hearts core, from these hosts OF wraJhs IN
the Silences. Are these, beneath the matched
roofs beside the road on when you stand, less
eer1S and heiotS In CHRISTIAN Brttains mighty
jubilee years. than when our beacon ugnIs flushed
from an hundieG circlng hills and Gained IneLn
from their herds TO defend the shining Grlanan?
DIFFICULT ASCENT.
soughed and sighed family through the valleys,
over the hedges among the furze, and in the noun
tain heather, reached the loot OF -Aileach; and
committing my initial agrarian crime in Ireland,
wantoniy trespassed upon old Jonnny Porter's
holding, oy leapnX his sod walls and taking 10 the
neida The lower air was still full OF cleaning,
and beginning my solitary ascent from the west,
and DARKER app oach, / made tine mess Of IL as
did ever any bundering gossoon fresh TO the ac-
Quaintance OF mOuntaln-Side IRISH bog. endeav-
ored 10 pick my way by springing lightly from
ri xnrttI ht,lNth
place abounds; but the grass-tufts or heather
plumes, half covering them with deceptive curve
or or, IIiness OF green or purple gave me many
weight would sometimes force my legs TO my mid
die. But was In for 1t; and there was neither
honor nor advantage In turning back. SO
full was my soul with purpose, aud my trowsers
with the sacred mud OF antiquity, that was half
way to the mountain summit before l paused In
contemplation OF the Granan OF It's peak. There
1t stood Ike monstrOus black turret against the
on-sweeping light from the east. / pressed for
wild North from the Hottest height OF It's desoate
walls; Leaping vI failing spashing. barely
leveled and obscured outer ramparts, l at
last reached the solid rock OF Aleach, upon
which this migntiest rdh OF Pagan Europe Is set,
and following The circular walls around TO the
east 10 which the single passageway OF The struc-
ture opens, stood In the trst rays OF the sunIgut
years BEFORE with titles OF oread tue bar barlc
the uncomfortable, arcn-kinss OF Ireland.
TIE GRIANAN OF AILEACH,
called by the peasantry 'the ouId Forth OF
Greenan." is situated on a conica, denuded hill,
or mountain, SOB feet In height, at the eastern
edge Of County Donegal, about English miles
from the city OF Londonderry. The Grianan has
given It's name to the mountain, which rises
from the southeastern shore OF the romantic
Tough swiftly. From its eastern, or Derry
side for nearly mile from its base the
ascent Is quite gradual; but within a hundred
yards from the top 1t becomes extremely pecipi-
tous A broad, ancient road, over which the val
or0uS EOchys and their rettnues formerly assembled
leads up at the northeast between two lodges OF
natural rock from Lough swiftly TO the Circular
apex and stronghold. This commands, owing TO
the topography and outlying valleys which at the
far horizon are encompassed by mountains the
most extensive, varied, and magnificent views to
be found In all ireland. Their concentrlc
ramparts must be passed through before arriving
at the cdshsi, or keep, OF the fortress The lower
or outer, rampant Is barely traceable but the two
nearest tue walls are still plainly followed
Though the remote ordinance surveys site only
| these three ramparts. enclosing respectively as
you ascend areas OF 1ve and One-haIf acres. four
| acres, and one acre, discover
IN HISTORIC POEM
OF great antiquity In the DinDseanchus, In which
the Grianan OF Aileach is minutely described, that
there were originally i've.
| Aileach- Firm. plat Of the king-rath
| royal u the world;
Dun, 70 which led horse roads, Through
| sang the oardfc historian, whose words are pre-
Il ha RSok nF