The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12

sr. ACDOEN5 ARCH, DUBLIN.
Castle, the Parliament house, Trinity College
and some OF tho ancient churches. there is but
little left of the town that witnessed the events
OF that stormy period. Fate, not without its
usual irony, has willed. however, the preserva.
ton to this day OF two edifces, scenes of the
preliminary acts of the sombre drama, which,
although recalling the patriotism and devotion
Of 1rcland's noblest sons. also ~conjure up the
spectre of treachery and treason, without which
no story of Irish uprising against England's
despotism seems to be complete.
The two houses are within gunshot of each
other. one in the centre of Bridge street, a Rrimy
thoroughfaro leading down to the murky Liffey
from an elevation on which stands ancient st.
Audosns Church; tho other at ISL Thomas
street. n broad and we'll frequented avenue.
The former was the dwelling and warehouse Of
Oliver Bond, tho cloth merchant, already men-
toned rs n member Of the United Ireland Exec
utive Directory, and in 1t the Lcinster delegates.
to the number OF thirteen evil omen were
captured by the rcdoubtable Town Major SIR
on March IL, 1898. In the Thomas street house
the promising young chief OF the insurgents,
the hope and pride of hundreds of thousand of
his countrymen, received his death wound in
the defence of life and liberty.
Your Dublin man, unless he be n Castle func.
tionary or an ingrained loyalist-and there are
few such. on the w~hole-loves to expatiate on
these themes. At heart the Dublin man is a
rebel still; he chcrishcs the memory of Lord Ed.
ward and Wolfe Tone, as Americans that of
Washington and Lafayette. Should the
stranger in the Irish capital desire any particu.
lar attention or courtesy he need only exhibit
an interest in these memories; he will find a
prompt response at every turn. 1 know that I
had only to inquire the way to a landmark of
the rebellion for the person addressed to offer
10 conduct me thither and explain its history en-
route. One prominent merchant, in whose store
1 was purchasing some Photographic material,
on hearing of my intentions promptly set aside
the work in hand and placed an afternoon at
my service. l an indebted to him for much in
tercsting information.
To reach Bridge street from Lord Edward
street. a main artery leading to College Green,
one usually passes through Cook street, a thor.
oughfaro no tourist fails to visit despite, or,
rather. because Of fits grucsomc character, for
within the space Of an ordinary New York
block one sees the coffin makers of Dublin ply
ing their vocation in full view of the passersby.
Collins there arc in every size and style and in
every stage Of completion. collins to suit the
Catholic taste, the Presbyterian or that of the
more select and aristocratic member of the
Church of Ireland. 1t is merely a case of step.
ping in and making ones choice, just as in any
other kind of a shop or bazaar. We proceed
along the narrow street, with its ramshackle,
crumbllng buildings, inhabited by the very
poorest classes. when an alley presently appears
10 view on the left leading up n steep incline.
1t Is spanncd half way up by n curious medimval
arch. fifty feet beyond which rises a stately
church, old Saxon in style. moss grown and
hoary with age.
There is a bit of old Dublin!" l exclaim.
sure and you're right, sir" returns nv
cicerone. THE church you SEQ there is st. An
doens, the equivalent for Owens in Irish. T
could tell you the whole history if | had time.
but what will interest you much more is TO know
that this old arch once supported n house in
which the United 1rishmen held regular secret
meetings before the rebellion. 1t was one of
their hiding places from Major SIR and bis
henchmcn-and it was one of the few places the
Major never discovered"
Three minutes walk and we turn into Bridge
street. Now we are indeed in the very heart Of
the revolutionary district. Standing at the
south end OF the street one sees half way down
on the right the famous Bond house, and imme.
alalcly opposite tho sign, Of the Brazen Head
Inn. "A rendezvous both OF the 'gs conspirators
and OF Robert EInInct and his friends In 1903:
and as II o add 10 the atmosphere of conspiracy
james Mnliet', a released POLITICAL nris a u
Former member OF the Phoenix Park cOterie''
now occupies a saloon two doors below the Bond
house. INC storms of tho past do not seem To-
nave abandoned these precincts altogether, If /
may Judge by tho incident | witnessed on the
occasion of my visit; namely. the attempt Of the
proprietor Of the hotel" adjoining The Rpa1n n
Hoad 10 brain Il luhorcr with an iron hook Tor
stiNing the rival concerns signboard upon his
The Bond house is a large. white structural
choked un with dust and dirt and sadly out Of
fepalr' since tho fatcful eve OF March II,