The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-09
THROWING THE DART.
AN ODD IRISH CUSTOM WHICH
TAKES PLACE NEAR CORK.

The Ceremony Dates Back Hundreds OF
Years-It Occurs whenever New
Mayor of the City Is Elected-Queens-
town Harbor Is Crowded at the Time
Several New Workers were fortunate
enough while waiting for the American
steamer at Queenstown to witness the
! performance of a curious ard ancient
rite by the mayor of Cork to which some
of them had been specially invited, the
| American consul there, John j. Piatt,
taking a prominent part in the cere-
mony. This curious survival of feudal
forms is called throwing the dart"
Its origin is lost in the twilight of an
tiquity, but it undoubtedly had some
significance in ancient times, long be-
fore firearms were invented and when
darts, bows and arrows, arquebuses and
other such mechanical instruments of
destruction were the only known weap-
ons in warfare. Cork being one of the
oldest cities in Europe its civic consti-
tuition involves many strange customs
unknown in any either town of the
"a,
dart is among the strangest.
By the ancient charter of the city its
head man is not only mayor, but ad-
miral of the port IS well, and this port,
embracing Queens town, has especial in
terest for Americans because, next to
New York, it is the most important port
of American traffic in the world. The
old charter of Cork, which is one of the
most ancient documents in Ireland, is a
curiosity of nun icipal documents.
One of its pl DIVISIONS requires one Of
the city official s, attendant upon the
mayor, to wear on formal occasions "a
remarkable hat. The hat which this
dignitary wears annually is certainly re-
markable, for il is nearly three feet in
height, sloping; gradually toward the
top, made of brown fur, and with a
straight brim.
AN An GENT CEREMONY.
BY the charter of Cork the mayor is
required at sta ted intervals many years
apart to go out to the entrance of the
harbor in "th3 corporation barge" and
there, attired in his robes of office and
attended by the chief dignitaries of the
city, to throw a dart out to sea, and the
place where it falls in the water is to
mark the limits of his jurisdiction as
admiral of tn 9 port. The origin of this
custom is 50 ancient that very few
people nowad avs know what dart is.
The one used on this occasion was a
handsome weapon with a shaft of
polished mahogany over six feet in
length, with broad bronze barbs weight
ed with shot and feathers of bronze, and
on the end a bronze shamrock bearing
the arms of the city, the name of the
mayor and he date.
OF late we ars the ceremony of throw
ing the dart has been neglected, but the
present mayor of Cork, evidently being
determined to comply with every re-
quirement of his Office, prepared to cele-
brate the event upon grander scale
than ever before. Instead of the corpo-
ration barge, another civic institution,
created centuries before steamboats, were
known and now relegated out of exist
ence, a large steamboat was hired and
nearly a thousand invitations were is
sued, while a band and an elaborate
luncheon were provided
Besides Mr.. Piatt, the American con-
sui at Cork, many Americans were pres
ent, and it was recalled that the last
time the ceremony was performed it
was witnessed by Congressman Patrick
Collins, of Massachusetts, who was re-
turning from trip to Europe at the
time.
The sea was perfectly calm on the day
of the ceremony. On the way down the
beautiful River Lee the steamer stopped
at Blackjack castle, where the mayors
i'll ancient times held an admiralty court.
and here Mayor Daniel Horgan, with
several Of the aldermen, stepped ashore
and walked to high water mark TO assert
their jurisdiction over the river, in &C
cordance with another ancient custom.
MANY DARTS WASTED.
The steamer Commissioner, with the
party aboard, then steamed out between
the forts at the entrance to the harbor,
and IN perfectly smooth sea came to
stand at line drawn between Poer and
Cork heads, more than fifteen miles
from Cork. The mayor then took his
stand upon the bow, dressed in his robes
and chains of Office, and with the long
and heavy dart in his right hand made
a brief address to the guests, who in
Guided bishops, members of parliament
and representatives of foreign govern
ment.
lie welcomed the Americans present
in the name of the city, and said that the
dart was such heavy one that he did
not think he could add much to his pre-
vious jurisdiction. After speaking Of
the antiquity of this picturesque custom
he turned and, amid great cheering,
threw the dart into the sea, where it
landed thirty feet from the vessel and
Immediately sank. Several amateur pho
tographers were present.
The steamer then proceeded TO Rostel-
Ian castle, upon which flag with the
arms of the city was flying, and where
all present were entertained by Sir John
Pope HennesSy and Lady Hennessy.
The ceremony of throwing the dart is
performed on the spot which the Ameri-
can steamers cross when entering Queens
town harbor, and it has been repeated
for so many times that it is estimated
there must be nearly hundred darts at
the bottom OF the ocean.-New York
World