Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-07
BenniS0n Bros

So full was my soul with purpose, and
my trousers with the sacred mud of an
tiquity that l was half way to the noun
tain summit before | paused in cOntem-
plation of the Grianan of its peak.
There it stood like a mOnstrous black
turret against the on-sweeping light
from the east. l pressed forward, de-
termined to see one sunrise upon Ire
lands wild North from the Hottest
height of it's deSolate walls. Leaping,
falling. s%plashing, barely escaping u
ducking in the holy well of st. Patrick,
and stumbling over the h~alf-leveled
and obscured outer ramparts, l at last
reached the solid rock of Aileach upon
which this mightiest rath of pagan
Europe is set; and following the circu-
lar walls around to the east, to which
the single p~assageway OF the structure
opens. stood in the first rays of the sun
light within the entrance into which
had passed, 1000 years before, with
titles of dread" the barbaric, the un-
conquerable, arch kings of Ireland.
The Grianan Of Aileach, called by the
%peasantry 1.-THE ould Forth OF Greenan,"
is situated on a c~Onical, denuded hill, or
mountain, SOB feet in height. at the
eastern edge of County Donegal, about
six English miles from the city of Lon
uOlluctry. llS bTltiluu HAS given us
name to the mountain, which rises from
the southeastern shore of the romantic
Tough Swilly. From its easter or Derry
side for nearly a mile from its base the
ascent is quite gradual; but within n
hundred yards from the top it becomes
extremely precipitOus. A broad, an
cient road, over which the valorous
Eochys and their retinues formerly
assembled, leads up at the northeast be-
tween two lodges of natural rock from
Tough Swilly to the circular apex and
stronghold. This commands, owing to
the topography of outlying valleys which
at h far horizon are encOmpassed
by mountains, the most extensive, va
ried and magnificent views to be
found in Ireland. There ]concentric
ramparts must be passed through before
arriving at the cashel, or keep, of the
fortress. The lower, or outer, rampant
is barely t%raceable; but the two nearest
the walls are still plainly followed.
Though the remote ordinance surveys
site only these three ramparts, enclos-
ing respectively as you ascend areas of
five and one-half acres, four acres, and
n acre, | discover in Il historic poem
Of great antiquity in the Dinnseanchus,
in which the Grianan of Aileach is
minutely described, hat there were
originally five.
Aileach- Firm, plat of the king-rath
royal of the world;
Dun, to which lead horse-roads through
five mighty ramparts;-
sang the bardic historian, whose words
are preserved in the Book OF Lecan,
These two effaced lines of ramparts
were undoubtedly in the nature OF
lower redoubts enclosing perhap:
eighty acres all told. Ingenious writers
have argued et~ymologically that thi.
most ancient known Irish stronghold
was erected so long as 1000 years be.
fore Christ, as a temple by worshipper:
of the sun. While the sun is known t.
have been w~orshipped by the Pagan
Irish, this conjecture rests solely upon
the etymology of the name Grianan
from Grain, the Sun. No authority il
found for such use Of the word Grianan
while multitudinous authorities concur
in the meaning of just what it as
1.-THE shining place." the ''bright tower
on the gray cliff" ''the shining Dun;'
"a noble h~abitation;" ''the royal seat.
The Grianan of Aileach was the roya
seat, fortress, stronghold, of the North
eren, who were the most ancient, king
Of Ireland.
The grim cashel itself Ia considerably