The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-11-14
PART VI


Copyright, 19O9 by John A. Black.)
Boots delivered our clothing to US late
in the afternoon and liberated us again.
Twenty miles by rail to Killarney took
us out of the rain belt and we found
the streets of the town dry and dusty
and filled with d merry crowd which
drifted along and sWirled about the
lighted shop windows till II o'clock at
night: so we also took to the streets and
wandered about the town in the twi-
light of the long June evening till our
hearts grew warm, and when we went
to bed in our comfortable hotel we al
most felt gracious enough to forgive
Ireland for its treatment Of US in the
forenoon, but in the morning the rain
descended and the winds blew and beat
upon that hotel and our spirits fell.
But why spoil day by getting angry
with ireland, the tickle jade? Let her
weep and storm and go into Mysteries,
If she will! She looks well in tragedy,
anyhow So with rubber capes and
Irish frieze coats we make ourselves
waterproof and mounting the car are off
for the Gap of Dunloe and the lakes-a
ride of some twenty-eight miles. The
first eight miles around the north side
of the lower lake to Kit Kearney's cot
Ireland. To our right on the high
ground are the ruins of Aghadoe-a
round tower, a church and a castle; to
our left we get glimpses of the lower
lake and a view of Brickeeni bridge.
The road is narrow and winding be-
tween hedges and bitches. Droves Of
the little black Kerry COWS Craze in the
knee-deep grass on either side; here is
the haunted house where the ghost of
Godfrey Lynch pays no rent and de-
fies eviction. A man rides alongside our
car spelling a. mile by his insistent
pleading with us to hire his ponies for
the journey through the gap. Another
half mile is damaged by two middle
aged women, who plead with US to add
their ''likenesses" to our collection; we
decline to so honor ourselves and then
they bring out their side hne-hevay
Woolen socks, knitted by me own
hands, sir!" Their places are taken by
another pony man and so We are pes
tered until we get down at Kate Kar-
ney's cottage. This famous cottage is
a typical Irish house of the poorest
sort; in it is a bar presided over by two
women who, if they are descendants of
the famous beauty whose name the
cottage bears, have got considerably
damaged in the descent. After some
dickering with the pony men, we get
aboard the most likely looking beast of
the lot and are off for the six mile ride
In wind ard rain. through the famous
Gap of Dunloe
These gap ponies are not any too
graceful themselves but if mine had the
gift Of Balaam's famous animal, l
should not like to get into a controversy
with it about that days doings; for I
suspect that I was the most awkward
- -,,f- =, 1a,S Fy1-
through the gap; / make the confession
because of a troublesome recollection
Of stripes laid on the beasts back
which, no doubt, ought to have been
laid on mine.
The first denizen Of the gap which
we encounter is the man who wakes the
echoes waith a cannon. He is making
a great show of ramming a good load
into his gun as we come in sight. for
these gap men are experienced actors
He fires it off and 1t seems as il there
was an Irishman on every crag and
rock banging away at each other. such
a succession Of roaring, crashing re-
ports follow each other from the noun
tains on both side Of the valley "a
Few pennies, sir, to pay for the pow
ther." Next is the man with the bugle,
who collects the pennies to pay for his
breath before he blows it; and he is a
rascal too, for all he gave back of
my shilling was fivepence, a rascally
smile and a good luck to so fine
gintleman!" The great mountains
ranged along each side the valley like
two sleeping armies, walked by the
bugle, take UP the notes and Shrek
across the valley at each other like
snarling, sleepy giants-each answer
growing fainter as drowsiness over
comes them till all is silence again and
the bugle man sits down to wait for an
other "fOine gintleman" who may trust
him with a shilling.
For four miles we ride between these
great. rough mountains whose torn,
jagged sides rise above US hundreds of
feet. Now the road keeps well up on
the mountain side under the overhang-
ing rocks, below Us is a deep. dark lake:
now the narrow road descends into the
valley and winds along the little river.
All about US lie great rocks as they fell.
crashing from the mountain side,
loosened by some disturbance: while
above US hang others looking none too
secure. This is surely one of the un-
finished places Of the earth! The noun
tain builders went away and left their.
work half done and the material lying
about in confusion--so it looks
The road through the gap is narrow
eNd winding; it crosses and recrosses,