The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-08-18
IRISH GRAVES IN ENGLAND,
BY MICHAEL MAoDONAGH.
HENRY o'BRIEN

Henry O'Bnen! What thoughts that
name inspires--thoughts of boundless
enthusiasm, patient, of laborious re-
search in an effort to solve great his
torical and archaeological problem; Of
profound learning, which, displayed in
dawning manhood, was worthy of grey
bearded years; Of young life suddenly
cut off, it's Herculean labors resulting in
naught except the production of book
"a wonderful book, indeed, in many re-
epects. (which few now read, and at
which most of it's readers are inclined to
laugh for it's ludicrous absurdity. The
history of Henry O'Brien is, in word,
the history Of book, The aim Of the
work was to establish the origin of the
Round Towers of Ireland, and show the
uses to which they had been put by
their builders Petrie at the same time
advanced his theory Of the origin Of the
towers; and it is strange fact that the
theory of 0 'Brien, which isnow ignored,
if not, indeed, received everywhere with
derisiye laughter, commanded then much
greater attention than that Of Petrie.
which is now almost universally accepted
as conclusive. What these antago nistic
theories were we shall see later on.
This L may say, that 80 high AL authority
rs Father Prout has said that O'Brien
by his book on the pillar towers has
solved the problem Of 3, 900 years.
O'Bnen Was born in the barony Of
Iveragb, county Kerry, in 1910. He was
educated in Trinity College, Dublin,
where he obtained the degree Of B. &. in
1881. From early youth he was OF a
very stud1ous disposition, and his tastes
went from the first in the direction of
aostruse subjecrs. He read everything
that had been written on Ireinnd-~its
History and antiquities. About the time
the famous controversy arose as to the
origin of the round towars--in 1856
o'Brien was engaged i'll translating from
the I.atin DIR. Villanueva's 'fIbernia
Phoenicia,' ~ in which 5he writer treated
OF the evidences of 6 colony Of Phoenicians
having settled in ireland in prehistoric
ages, This work turned O'Brien's at
yention to the round towers of Ireland.
He studied a multitude OF books on the
Phsnician and Egyptian peoples, and
from his profound researches he evolved
g. Theory Of the origin Of the mysterious
pillar towers. which he subsequently
worked out in certainly most ingenious
and learned manner. In 1880, SIS have
said, interest in the round towers WAS
revived in Ireland, A couple Of works
on the subject had recently been pub
ished, but it was felt generally that no
satisfactory attempt at the solution Of
the enigma had yet been made. At the
end OF the year the Royal Irish Academy
offered q gold medal and ESQ to The
author OF the best essay on the subject,
which was supplemented by the then
Lord Cloncurry with al offer Of Gl00.
Twelve months were ;;iven for the COM
position of the essay. 4 good number
of competitors sent in essays, and after
two or three months consideration OF the
contributions the Royal Irish Academy
decided that, as the beas Of the essays
did not sufficiently treat of one Of the
subjects enumerated~--nanlely, the char
acteristic pecuEarit1es belonging to each
OF TIE towers, they could not declare it
The winner OF the prize. They then is-~
sued She following announcement
Royal Irish Academy House, Dublin,
February 81, 1882.
t'Iv having appeared to the Royal
Irish Academy that none Of the essays
given in on the subject Of the FRound
Towers, as advertised in Dublin in De-
cer1ber, 1880, have satisfied the condi-
ton of the question, shey have come to
the following resolutions
ss1st-That the question be advertised
again as follows The Royal Irish
Academy hereby give notice that they
will give premium $50 and the gold
medal to the author Of Eli approved
essay on the Round Towers Of Ireland
in which it is expected that the character
istic architectural peculiarities belonging
to Ill those ancient buildings now exist
inc shall be noticed, and the uncertainty
in which their origin and uses are H.
yolyed be satisfactorily removed.
"2nd--That the time be extended to
the LIST OF June next FOR receiving other
essays on said subject: and for allowing
tle authors Of the essays already given
in to enlarge and improve them, for
which purpose they will be returned On
application to the Academy House.
O'Brien asserts that it was only on
reading this annou D enent he first be-
came acquainted with the fact that the
Royal Irish Academy had offered prize
e.. A1,, HIST 3;euaytot;nu IN tho Ecrc3