Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-10
AFOOT IN IRELAND.
old Donegal TOwn-Red Hugh's Ad- ventures-The Ruin Near BalIyshan- non-The Colleen BawR-The Peas- antFy.

STRANoRLAR Ireland, Oct. 30.
 othe Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The ancient seaport of Irsland's romantic northwest, quaint, musty Donegal, is very little place with very large amount of coun- try about it. But great interest is found
 from possible historic and traditionary re~ searches; from scenic Vaccinations within range of it's surrounding hills; from studies of it's people and the quaint mountain peas-
 antry who resort to it; from its near fine salmon leaps and picturesque seaside resorts;
 from it's nearness to the former home of that
 love lorn maiden from whose deplorable
 misfortunes sprang the pathetic story of
 "Colleen Bawn;" and from the weird, grand
 and often sublime groupings of mountains,
 Ioughs, glens, tarns and rivers which in eve
 " direction bewitch and enthrall as in no
 other part of Ireland, and I believe in no other part of the whole world. America annually sends fifty thousand tourists to Eu- rope. Not one in thousand ever set vision upon these transcendent beauties. That one
 fact is greater marvel than most marvellous
 scene upon which the eye may rest in all the glorious Donegal Highlands.
 In the sunshine old Donegal town is cheery and snug enough; but when the fog winds come up from the sea like dingy wings slap ping it grewsomely in it's face, the half town, half hamlet, seems to shudderingly shrink closer to the shores of the noisy Esk, as if seeking shelter at the bases of the dark mountains behind. Fort of the White Strangers is the signihcation of the name Donegal; although one would have a hard time indeed to find what that meant. Aside from the picturesqueness of its charming old streets, an interest that is almost melan- choly attaches to its half ruined castle at the riverside, near the ancient arohed bridge. Many a page of history would have to be scanned to learn its haps and mishaps, and of it's different lords, governors and rulers; for here during at least five centuries was the center of bloodiest struggles between north srn Irish kings and their foes, and es- peeially the conflicts between the O'Neills and O'Donnells. The life and adventures of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, or Red Hugh, properly depicted, would alone surpsss the most thrilling tale of Scottish border land war fare During the fourteenth century the daring and heroic spirit of Hugh when still but boy attracted the notice of Sir John Perrott Lord Justice of Ireland. In order to get him within his power Perrott sent a ship into Lough Swilly laden with samples of the finest Spanish wines, and manned by his own seamen disguised as Spanish wine merchants. Hugh, with others: was lured aboard, and while being feasted the hatches were battened and the young chief carried to Dublin, where he was immured in the Tower. Though but sixteen, he here made one of the most heroic prison escapes known to those I savage times. Flying to supposed friend. | Sir Phelim O'Toole, who had been his fellow prisoner, he was betrayed, again imprisoned l and subjected to every barbarity save down | right murder. In year he again escaped; | fled to the mountains where he for months | subsisted like 8 wild beast; but finally re- gained his own country and kingdom about | Donegal. Succeeding his father as ruler, and being joined by the valiant O'Neil, he | set about averaging his wrong and indignities against the English; but suarrelling with ! O'Neil as to which should lead the attack l against the entrenched foe at Kinsale, each contending for the bloody honor, the battle, after great slaughter, was lost, Hughes fol lowers routed and dispersed and the brave 1 young chieftain, himself wounded, com- \ pelled to fly to Spain. Here after great la bors he succeeded in inducing King Philip tc
 raise an army of succor for the recovery oi ! his domain; but worn out with delay and eff | fort, he died from grief and a broken hear ! at Valladolid. His character and noble qualities, as they were then measured, and his wondrous bravery, rendered his name s luminous and pathetic one in the Irish an nals. This old stronghold of the Lords o Tirconnel must have been a splendid and ! powerful fortress. Chimney pieces of mag nifcent sculpture in the style of James I are still seen; and some of the Gothic win
 dows overlooking the bay are fairly preserved specimens of the impressive architecture O half thousand years ago.
 To Irishmen, or indeed to all men who ar' | earnest students of the history of any race people or land, the dear old ruin on th
 coast below Donegal, nearer Ballyshannon
 must possess an absorbing fascination. Her, l stood the lone, semi monastio castle of Kill
 barron, an ancient fortalice and seat of tn
 0CleTy chiefs. It was in this stronghold | that the brothers O'Clery, Hugh Ward anG
 John Colgan, known to all scholars as tn
 Four Masters, in the midst of furious war
 of clans, chiefs, kings and what not, pur
 sued their great historical researches and Ia
 bors, resulting in those monuments of in
 dustry called the Donegal Annals" or tn
 I"Annals of the Four Masters,n which, de
 spite all cayil or prejudice, stand out a
 grand land marks against the age of dark
 ! ness and blood in which they were produced The scholar and erudite, surrounded as he i ] 1 with the illimitable possibilities and facili ties of to-day, should stand here and con
 template the few remaining orumbling peak of masonry, standing in this awful solitud of cliff, wind and sea, in order to just fo ! once realize the sacrifice and devotion of tn patient souls of all lands in the dim days be hind us, and the infinite advantages of th brighter time that is ours. The gray ol ruins stand at the very edge of precipitou [ and almost insulRr cliff. Furxe and heathe