The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-09-14
Was ireland Con-
r. quered?
REMARK was made in the
Chautauqua Circle lately that
"Ireland was never conquered"

~ Chautauqua Circle lately that
"lreland was never conquered"
and, if by that was meant that
the essential features of Celtic life had
not become eradicated, or that the
Celtic element had become in any way
absorbed by other natiOnalities, the re-
mark was true. The Celts, whatever
their origin, are today as they have
been since the dawn of HISTORIAN
absorbing race; and while in some por-
tiOns of Ireland traces of foreign ad-
mixtures may be detected in the
physiognomy, the large bulk of the
population retain their Celtic charac-
teristics.
The first foreigners to visit Ireland
were probably the Carthaginians,
who, in the time of Hannibal, had trad
ing posts established at various points
on the coast. After that there was
large amount of commerce carcied on
between Ireland and Spain; the Iber-
ian tribes being also of Celtic or
pseudoCeltic origin. There never was
any Roman invasion; on the contrary,
the English coast was ravaged time
and again by the Irish during the
Roman occupation of Britain. The
northern counties were also repeatedly
invaded by the Irish and their colonies
in Scotland; and in order to keep them
out, the so-called Roman wall was built
on the border of England and Scot
land. After the departure of the Ro-
mans from Britain the Saxons and
Angles descended in large numbers on
both England and Ireland, rapidly COM
pleting a conquest of England and
dividing it up among several kingdoms
known as the Heptarchy. They did not
succeed in fully establishing them
selves in Ireland, exceprin in the immedi-
ate neighborhood of Dublin, from
which they were afterwards completely
dislodged by the Irish and left not even
trace behind.
J During the boyhood of John, after
. wards King of England, a number of
. Irish dynasts or sub-kings lowing to
internal trouble in Ireland) offered to
} and actually did swear fealty to him,
T and this act is one of the bases of the
: claims of English suzerainty. This
f act was repudiated by the bulk of the
Irish people. The extent of English,
or rather Norman occupation, was
!. about the same as that previously held
by the Scandinavians, i. e., Dublin and
{ the surrounding country, known to
!, historians as the English pale. In
: time the descendants of these Normans
were absorbed by their Celtic neigh
s bors and became more Irish than the
! Irish.
: The next trace of foreign blood was
j that left by the wreck of the Spanish
t Armada. Quite a number of Span.
n ish sailors who were wrecked at that
It time settled at or near Cork, in which
y city the Spanish type is still very evi
2 dent and particularly noticeable among
g the women, who are noted for theil
h large, dark expressive eyes and theil
1t magnificent compilations.
10 Next came Cromwell who overraI
G. Ulster and swept the country as fal
q, south as Drodheda; and after clearing
sr the country as far as he went, he plant
r ed colonies of Cameronian Scotchme1
n, to hold the land and prevent Celtic re
le occupation. Now, as these colonist
t. were the undoubted descendants O
Irishmen who, centuries before hat
le conquered and held Argyleshire, ther
m really was no. new blood introduces
10 into Ireland, and the predominant
even in the north Of Ireland remaine
to true. OF the invasion by William o
Ve Orange and his band of Dutch mercer
n aries, there is nothing much to be sale
ne They left no traces, but only succeede
rd in driving some of the noblest Irish
ly men into the service of France, an
Ill were made to repent it bitterly aftel
ht wards at Fontenay. The real an
most dangerous invasion was made i
the House of Parliament, on Colleg
Id Green by Lord Castlereagh, who di
with the dollar what could not b
fe done with the sword.
ERiN IN RRArrT