The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-12-05

candle exaggerated to, enormous proporttoHs. oindl
rooms are friendlier than large ones In these ho-
tells in the smaller Irish towns you don't press a
button to light your ROOM but you pick out from
the row set in the hall candle to suit your fancy
and light it. which will burn hole III the darkness
big enough for you to sit in; and l have discovered
that you can even read little with two candles. [
always choose the candle with the most matches on
the tray; and l prefer those which do not lean to
one side, but they are very rare.
On my way to Dunboyne out of Maynooth |
failed to make the proper turn and again the
straight and narrow road led me astray, and into
Clonee; but if l am never led into place
shall do well, for it is nate and dacent village.
Near Black Bull-a ferocous name for tame
a place-chance led me into little home which
cannot forget The floor hard earth; the walls
rough stone; the ceiling smoked rafers and thatch.
little bed OF Goals under the open-mouthed chin
ney gave out some heat and good deal of stray
smoke which the simmering pot turned out of its
upward course, and which the weak-lunged chin
ney not able to draw back in again. Through
the open upper half of the doorway light came in
and smoke went out AT the fire sat old woman,
careworn and feeble, who rose and welcomed me;
in the corner of the inner room, half sitting up
bed old man. for eight months he had been
there with the sickness him." In that dark,
caye-ike cottage he had fought with grim death for
months his faithful woman" by his side: and now
he resting after the battle, but only word at
time could get out of either of them about their
the victory, so hopeful for the future, now that it
was over
pray for the soul of Thomas Ward" is request
ed of those who go this way, by tombstone-tike
tablet set in the wall by the roadside near Dun
shaughlln. This one-street town which stretcl-
es along the road for half mile with many gap
between the houses, and seemingly few people to
the half mie-l saw less than dozen, with one or
two carts.
narrow, winding side road, up hill, between
high, thick hedges, takes me into the 'Hll of Tara"
This was an ould ancient place once,' said Pat of
another spot, which is good description of Tara
1t is completely leveed to EARTH and so destitute
of marks OF It's former greatness that it is hard
for one to realize that he treads on the dust of
kings and kings courts and banqueting halls once
filed with lreands "chiefs and ladies bright" when
he walks over these fields. For centuries this was
the "hub' of ireland. But Imagination falters and
fails, with nothing but few mounds to assist it,
when | try to rebuild the halls and fill them with
noisy banqueters and the strains of
"Ihe harp that once through Tara's hall
The soul of music she'd"
Sitting here on this desolate hill do family hear
the roar and confusion of the hall of assembly:
Along each side of which were double rows of
seats and tables, while in the middle stood vats of
iquor-XXX, l suppose-lamp, and huge fires at
which were numerous attendants cooking. AT the
southern and highest end sat the king and chiefs.
Lower down sat the other courters, bards. doctors,
historians druids and augurs, down to the rabble
of $50 walters, juggers, testers and doorkeepers"
The banquet IS over the banqueters have risen and
gone some 1900 years ago, and over the fragments
Father Time has spread the green cover
There is monument of any king here-onln
the statue of St. Patrick, who, in the of the
King of Kings, took Tara that Easter morning
when with mitre and crozier for arms, and spotess
robes of white for arnor, chanting hymn for
war song, with his few followers, in white also, he
boldly faced the pagan king whose anger they had
l. Had, Ill., Il Z
the night before. quite modern church stands on
the slope of the hill just above the village, sur
rounded by grove and graveyard. The village
if village it may be called-is a row of poor houses
on the uppepr side of the road-one public house
In the sixth century the kings and mobiles of
Ireland deserted Tara, leaving old Leary-the king
whom St Patrick met that Easter day-who stands
IN his mound where he buried upright in ar
NOR looking towards his foes" to guard the place
alone and he has done it right WELL for some COWS
on the hill, goat grazing in the village street. and
a woman hanging over the half-doof of her cottage,
were all the intruders I saw about Tara
After crossing Kilcarn bridge the road keeps
alongside the Boyne to Navan This town stands
on hill around which sweeps the Boyne and the
Backwater, to their marriage below the bridge,
where Blackwater becomes Boyne, for better or for
worse, till the sea do them part. At the foot of
Watergate street Pooboy bridge carries me over the
Blackwater into rather dilapidated outskirt of
Navan, which lies along the river and stretches
up the hill.
If Ratholdron castle to the left of the road, hid
III trees is as pretty as the long avenue of great
trees that leads down to it. it ought to be visited;
but one never knows how many keepers and other
watchful animals are lying i'll wait to pounce upon
you, i'll these private demesne, so l did not enter
the open gate, for fear it might prove trap.
To the left of the road in pretty wooded spot,
by the usual graveyard stands Donagh-
partick church the site of the first church built
BY St Patrick, if the tradition be true The tower
DID, but the body of the church has recently been
rebuilt. The wire fence is very modern and olsen
chants the picture
Near kells [ came on Lord Headfort's little
farms which was the better part of day in cross
ing. The country about Kells is rolling and well
wooded. This ancient and interesting town spreads
itself over the side and top of low hill in care
ess lounging way, which is excusable on account
IF age At the top of the town is the church which
S seemingly divided against itself. for the tower
and steepe which is supposed not only to indicate
he direction to heaven, but also the proper point of
departure, stands not on the church, but apart on
IN independent Observation-Disclosures petrified. as
Joleridge would say.
In the ohurchyard which surrounds the church
ire some very old crosses and scuptured slabs and
tall round tower. An old man who saw me photo |
graphing the round tower took me through his |
louse into back yard and showed me the base of
mother, twenty feet high, standing in field
md covered with ivy Outside the churchyard IS
st. Columba's house high-walled house with steo,,