The Irish standard., 1894-06-09

raided everyone whom he thought pos
sible disputant of his claif4s. The weiri
appearance OF his leathern soldiers made
8 lasting impression, and be is known il
history as "Murtaugh of the Leathern
Cloaks." But with ali his plans and pre-
cautions the face of fate was set against
him, and he never became Ard,rl, or
''over king" His indomitable activity
proved fatal to him, and the man whose
force of character would probably have
made him one of the greatest of the Irish
kings, perished ingloriously in scrim-
mage with the Danes.
No account Of the notable families of
Ireland could omit to meution the Cal
| berys. One of the very first names We
meet in the ancient records is that of
Carbery Kincain (or the Cat. head,) King
of the Tuatha Aitech. There were nu-
merous kings who bore this honorable
name; but one of them ought never to be
remembered as initiating q movement OF
the greatest historical Importance. Dur
ing the reign of Conary H., Carbery
Raida, a bold, adventurous man, led a
colony of his countrymen, the Scott, to
the country we now call Scotland. And
hence it has come to pass that the Scots
are in reality Irish by descent, Just as we
in America are Europeans; and the man
who first established them in the coun-
try since named after them was Carbery
Ralda.
But we must now look at darker pic
ture. Just as che O'Briens and O'Con-
nors represent the heyday of Ireland's
prosperity, so are the Dermotts CONNECT
ed with her humiliation and downfall. 1t
was during the reign Of the first Derlnott
that
The harp that once On Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute ON Tara's walls
AS If that soul were dead.
Foe ST.. Ruadan had pronounced a curse
against Tara, and in those superstitious
times none darad to return tolt. The
kings OF Meath took up their residence
elsewhere. and with the desertion of tine
capital was lost forever the feeling OF
Irish national unity.
Another Dermott, Dermott of Leinster,
son of Murtaugh, WAS the immediate
cause of Ireland's dissolution. Dethronea
by his subjects for tyranny. and like
Paris of Troy, for running away with
other mems wives, he crossed the chan
mel and solicited the aid of the English
Earl Strongbow. He returned with his
British Heesians, and since that day the
lion of England has ever been quartered
above the harp of Ireland. The Irish
have never been deficient in valor, but
the treachery of Dermott and the supe-
! rior tactics of the English left the con-
tlict with but a single lssue.
Who has not heard of the Frenchman
from Cork? He has passed into 8 popu-
lar joke, but nevertheless he is genuine.
When the English conquered Ireland
their leaders were mobiles OF Norman,
that is to say, Of French extraction; and
among the numerous lordlings who set
tied down in Ireland was one who bore
the typically French name Of De Burghe.
At first they we're supreme in Connaught,
the ancient kingdom of the O'Connors.
In the reign of Edward III. they seized
Galway and Mayo, and, intermarrying
with the O'Connors, we're gradually
| weaned away from their English connec-
tions and settled by degrees into native
Irish chieftalns. And hence it has come
about that, in very truth, the Burks,
Burkes and Bourkes are 'F'renchmen
from Cork"
The ancient families, like their own
native country, have fallen from pris-
tine splendor; and had history taken a
different course many of the commonest
name in our directories would doubtless
have been today the peers of the Eng
| lish Salisburys or the French Orleans.