The Irish standard., 1894-08-25

type of '.Father O'Flynn," wished il
his verses to give q picture of a typ
'frather than Of an individual; and t,
/ many who know Dublin the last verse 0
/ the ballad somewhat suggests the witt,
! t, pc of Irish priest Of whom Fathe
IRealy might be mentioned as the 81
preme representative. This famou
priest who is supposed to be the mos
| briliiant wit whom Ireland possesses a
1.-The present moment, is host in him
self, aud innumerable are the goot
/ stories told about him. But, as it il
true of most famous raconteurs, it il
perhaps more the way the thing is sale
kthan the actual words which give poin
to his Jest. The story goes that on ON
occasion he was sitting next to Prot
Huxley at British Association dinner
when the latter began telling him 8
long story of how certain Catholic
priest Cross examined him as tt
whether there was the slightest glim
mer of religious intelligence in mon
keys. The professor somewhat beckleo
Father Hesley as to what position the
Catholic Church would take on such {
matter. "Now, why do you suppose thif
priest asked me these questions?"
"Bedad," replied his companion
slyly, 'depend on it, he was hoping te
find cheap curate among them"
On another occasion Dean Qairke
and number of his ecclesiastical su-
periors were dining with him, and began
asking why he was not more active
Nationalist. ut is all very we'll for you
young men, replied he with a twinkle
in his eye, shut one night with NY
double -barrelled gun in damp ditch
would be the death Of nae.''
A long time passed by after the early
morning when "Father O'Flynn" first
sprung into being, and no particular
notice was taken of what was going to
prove one of the most popular songs
ever written. Mr.. Graves, however, al
ways counted the ballad among his OWE
favorite efforts at the same time that he
was quietly adding to his stock Of lyrics
and when DR.. Charles Villiers, Stanford
having been requested :.bys. Messrs
! Boosey l. Co, to edit collection o.
Irish airs, write to him asking il he
would mind contributing the words t.
his music, he was able to send his frienc
twenty songs, including "Fathe1
OFiynn," almost by return of post. But
DR.. Stanford, although he approved o.
| the others, considered "Fa,her O'Flynn'
ttoo humorous for his collection, and i
was only after some persuasion that he
finally agreed to include it.
Alfred Perceval Graves was born IL
the city of Dublin on July 22d, 1876
sent to school at Windermere, ane
finally to Trinity College, Dublin, where
he graduated B. A. 1871, He inherited
his musical aud poetic talents from h1t
parents; for few ara aware his knowledge
Of music which inspired his best lyrics
His mother was an accomplished musi
clan and an excellent performer on botl
the piano and harp, and the Bishop o
Limerick was prominent as musician il
his youth, his "Hermione, composed t.
words by Barry Cornwall, having beel
popular some fifty years ago. ID
Graves Was one of the founders of tn
University of Dublin Choral Society
and was one Of Che "Fellows Of Trinity
referred to in "Father O'Flynn." HI
was also an active member Of the Societ.
Of the Preservation of the Ancient Mu
sic of Ireland. which produced. the we'll
known Petrie collection from which DR.
Stanford and Mr.. Graves have drawn
their chief inspirations. Mendelssohl
and Jenny Lind were personal friends O
! DR.. and Mr.. Graves, at whose home II
Dublin, and later in Limerick, the bes
music was always to be heard. Th'
bishop and his family passed their sum
mers at Parknasilla, their place in Kerry
! and it was there that the subject of thit
sketch gained that intimate acqualnt
ance with Irish peasant life which is re
hected in his poems. :.
MI. Graves lyrics have been, as
rule, inspired directly by old Irish air
and their original Celtic or Anglo-lrlst
i titles. This was specially the case with
''The Little Red Lark ''When She
Answered Me Her Voice Was Low,
"Last Night I Dreamed Of My Owr
True Love-" and "The Rose Tree in Full
Bearing. There is none Of the lrist
writers of the present day who is pos
| sessed of as much clean, wholesome WI
and humor as Mr.. Graves, and nothing
excels his mirthtql style in could Doc
| tor Mack" q pendent to "Fathe
O'Flynn," his "Fan Fitzjarl," or BIZ
Seats Of Kilkenny" He is the first o
the great Irish humorists who ia In
ttensely national in his writings. Love
cannot be- credited with much patriotic
spirit; and as for Lover, he was eternall!
apologizing for being Irish. Not 9
- aR