Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-20
STREET IN MACROoM.

As a ruin Barney castle is rather superior to
Kenilworth castle. which owes its renown more
to Scott novel than to any other fact. With
the aid OF a candle, and our voiuble guide be-
fore mentioned. We explored some old dungeons
and caves under the CASTLE and we're shown the
inevitable secret stairway, O narrow passage
Leading up between the walls. We marvel that
this secret stairway idea has not been retained
in modern dwellings, Something of this kind
would be very handy when one wished to get
out or in without unnecessarily disturbing or
exciting the curiosity of his family, particularly
his other half We won't say better half. for
we have known many a married man who was
the better half.
THE VALLEY OF THE LEE.
As we rolled along toward Macroom, up the
valley Of the Lee to the westward. late one
afternoon, the trees we're tceming with song
birds, all trying their voices and making a
most harmonious discord. One the robin, we
are told, whistles quite distinctly the last line of
''Twickenham Ferry" Then there was Jim
Crow. Sometimes he had it all to himself and
we involuntarily murmured. why is a crowr'
The answer came instanter in n chorus of
"caws." And for no other reason" we
added. What had at distance resembicd
golden rod growing in the fields we now found
to be prickly bush bearing clusters
OF yellow flowers. Furz it is called. The low
stone walls along the roadside were grass
grown as to make it difficult to determine that
they were not mere mounds of earth. The sue
cession of low rounded hills at times bore q re-
semblance to Nebraska rolling prairie and then
to southern PENNSYLVANIA mountains. The
fields, laid out on the hillsides in squares OF
nearly uniform size. gave to the landscape the
appearance of a huge undulating checkerboard.
while the dark reddish brown of the p--wed
fields and the rich green tints Of the meadows
added variety of color to the picture.
SIR VIM. PENIS BIRTHPLACE.
Macroom, by the way, claims the distinction
Of being the birthplace of Sir William Penn. the
father of our own William Penn. This should
make Macroom especially interesting to the
American. particularly the Philadelphia. for
without William PENIS father William Penn
would have been an impossbilitv. and Phila-
delIhia might now have been wilderness even
greater than New York says il is.
The winds blow In the mountains in cruel.
penetrating manI.er and chilling showers of
rain and hail are frequent at this season. and.
as we pumped up grades or trundled up the
sleeper inclines beyond Macroom southwest
ward, we thanked our lucky stars that we had
chosen heavy material for our riding suits.
The scene as we proceeded grew more and
more wildly picturesque. the rocks browning
the surrounding elevations. peeping from their
garments Of yellow furz and heather, while
here an there streams of sparkling water
tumbled along downward in devious wind
ings to Join the Lee below. With a
grand final climb we reached the lake
Gougane Barra. the source of the Lee.
This little sheet of water. on three sides OF
which rise mountain peaks whose shadows i,
reflects, sees annually many thousands of pill
grims, who !ome in the months from June to
September to make their devotions at the
shrine within the ruins of monastery founded
in the sixth century on the site Of the hermit
cell Of st. Finn Barr one Of Erin's numerous
saints, on a diminutive island IN the lake.
Here also is a well of reputed miraculous heal.
ing powers. 1t is not very inviting in appear
ance, being simply puddle of staSnant water
beneath u rude shelter of stones.