Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-24
EILEEN ARooN.
The Romantic Story of the Sweetest
of Old Irish Songs.

The Romantic Story of the Sweetest
of Old Irish Songs.
81 know a valley fair,
Eileen Aroon;
know a cottage there,
Eileen Aroen;
Deep in that valley shade
| know gentle maid,
Flower of hazel glade,
Eileen AroOn."
Carroll O'DaIy, a Wicklow chieftain
of the sixteenth century, was the author
of Eileen Aroon. Apart from the ex-
quisite beauty OF the melody and the
touching pathos OF the words, it pos
sesses an intrinsic interest from the ro-
mantle incident attached to its compost
tion.
O'Daly was man of much culture, a
poet and musician, but also soldier,
who in the fastnesses OF the Wicklow
hills held aloft the standard OF revolt
against the Eauthority OF EHgland's
queen. Occasionally, too, he and
his clansmen swept down from
the mountains upon the Pale
to .wreak vengeance on the
brutal soldiery of Queen Elizabeth
and her Irish retainers. In one OF these
forays he first met Eileen AroOn, whose
name he has immortalized, and the
story OF whose name is known through
out the world after 300 years. She was
the daughter of s'The Kavanagh," an
Irish gentleman, residing within the
Pale, who had sworn allegiance to the
rule OF the invaders. 1t was the old,
old story OF mutual love at first sight,
in which the soldier poet played Ro-
meo to Verona's fairest child, and her
father was the stern. unbending Capu-
let. But despite the vigilance of pa
rent who had learned of the love of his
daughter for his enemy, O'Daly and
Eileen had many clandestine meeting
in the Valley of the Liffey. But these
were not "the piping times of peace"
in Ireland, and O'Daly, who was an en-
thusiast in the cause Of the independ-
ence OF his native land, much as he
loved Eileen Kavanagh, had little time
to devote to the soft dalliances OF love.
O'Neill, the prince of Sir-Owen, had
rallied the northern chieftains to his
standard, and defed the efforts Of Eng
lands most famous generals to subdue
him. O'Daly marshalled his Wicklow
clansmen and marched to the Ulster
leaders, aid. Through Kildare, Kings
county, Westmeath and Meath the
Leinster men marched through many
dangers and reached O'Neill's head
quarters on the eve of the most glorious
victory Ireland in arms ever won over
her hereditary enemy. O'Daly, fighting
bravely in the van Of the Irish forces,
fell desperately wounded, and his faith
tagh O'Daly with the passionate attach
ment which always distinguished such
men, nursed him through his illness.
When partially restored to health, the
poet-soldier and his followers started on
their return journey to their Wicklow
home.
Encamped one night in the woods of
Ofaly, now known as Kings county,
Carroll O'Daly learned through his fos-
of the contemplated mar
riage of Eileen Kavanagh with Talbot,
the lord of Malahide.
If Shelley were right that
wrong,
And learn in suffering what they teach in
song,"
surely Carroll O'Daly found in his sor-
row his inspiration, for by the campfire
in the woods OF Offaly that night
Eileen Aroon was written.
By forced marches O'Daly and his fol-
lowers reached Wicklow few days later.
From thence, accompanied by his foster
brother Murtagh only, he travelled to
the castle of his enemy, "The Kava-
nagh." He reached the castle on the
night when Eileen was about to become
the unwilling bride of Talbot.
The nuptial supper was already laid
when O'Daly entered the banqueting
hall disguised as an Irish harper. The
Irish bard in those days was always an
honored guest in every Irish household,
and O'Daly in his disguise was accorded
a cead mile failthe.
He marked the traces of sorrow and
suffering and bitter remorse on his be-
loved ones face. He was asked to sing,
and then for the first time an Irish audi
ence heard Eileen Aroon.
81 know valley fair,
Eileen Aroon
know cottage there,
Eileen Aroon:
Deep in that valley shade,
know gentle maid,
Flower OF hazel glade,
Eileen Aroon.
ais it the laughing eye,
Eileen Aroon?
Is it the timid sigh,
Eileen Aroon?
Is it the tender tone
Soft as the stringed harps moan?
on. 1t Is Truth alone,
=. - Eileen Aroon.
'Who in the song so sweet,
Eileen Aroon?
Who in the dance so fleet,
Eileen Aroon?
Dear are her charms to me,
Dearer her laughter free,
Dearest her constancy,
Eileen Aroon.
"If she should prove untrue
Eileen Aroon;
What should her lover do,
Eileen Aroon?
Fly with his broken chain
Over the bounding main,
Never to love again,
Eileen Aroon.'
And Eileen Aroon recognized the
voice of her lover in the disguised har-
per. This song that gushed from the
poets heart, sung with deepest feeling,
touched responsive chord in her own.
1t was an easy matter to whisper a
word in O'Daly's ear, for there was no
suspicion of his presence in the strong
hold of his enemy.
An hour later the Wicklow chieftain
and the woman he loved, mounted on
two fleet horses, were speeding to his
home among the Wicklow hills. A Sog-
CART aroon was found to tie the knot that
united them for life; and in every Wick
low PEASANTS cabin today you will hear
the story of the love OF Carroll O'Daly
and his Eileen Aroon.