Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-03-11


BY special dispensation met to celebrate
Which is sacred to the Irish race in
And relax S as assiduous piety in tuneful Irish
Long the bards had been arranging to
hold grand Fels Cecil,
Which would wake celestial echoes and
delight each heavenly soul
With Erin's classic music and sweet
Not yet lost to those departed from
earthly scenes so long
The committee on arrangements, ever
competent and true
Comprised such souls as Oisin, Thomas
O'Carolan and Talbot, Lord Edward and
Lyons Hempson. Katharine Hayes. who
sang so sweet and pure
No mortal eer conceived scene elab-
crate and grand
As that erected tor the Feis by this de-
TIL four provinces of Erin. her plains
With Surprising splendor reproduced in
panoramic view
Enthroned upon a heecy cloud. irradiant
Sat the venerable Patrick with ST. Bridget
on his right:
While around them stood the hierarchy.
the brightest of the Gael
The committee had arranged to place St
Patrick IN 1ulI view
OF the countless multitude of souls who
earth We're ever true
To his teachings; SO with accurate and
His throne was, situated just above old
Tara's Hill.
In amphitheatral order was the multitude
whence in death it strayed;
Gated near Athlone,
While on the whole heavenly light in
silence deep and reverent o'erspread
that mighty band,
AS it saw ST Patrick stand erect, his
crozier in his hand.
He blessed his faithful followers and
then resumed his chair
Pat Gilmore was selected by unanimous
To conduct the music of the Feis and
guide the tuneful choir.
A task which found him fitted by his con-
And an honor well deserved by such a
champion, OF the race
The varied programme now begins, the
initial part appears;
1t had not been enacted within eight
hundred years
Since the halcyon days of Brian's court
when harpers We're in sway,
And wore gold circlets their brows
and robes of colorS gay.
An ancient band of harpers was led upon
the stage,
In quantity gorgeous costumes only known
in historys page;
With heads erect. their features ShOne
with intellectual light,
Their demeanor full suggestive of their
old time Bardic might
AS Gilmore gave the signal their harps
with sweet accord.
Rang out upon the heavenly air in pleas
ing. tunefGl chord,
Their voices pitched in perfect key, first
low, then rising higher.
Perfected by long service in the great
ethereal choir
| Their songs in purest Gaelic told of an
cient Erin when
Twas the land of sanity scholars and of
most gifted men:
When twas Europe's seat of learning
from which Patrick's light went
To emblaze the pagan darkness which
prevailed throughout the North
They sang the Caoine. which oft has been
compared to the Lament
OF David over Jonathan. with bitter an
They sang of Erin's holy men, her poets
They sang in praise of Erin's faith, which
Patrick ever guards
The harpers now retired amid the p1aud-
its loud and long
nounced the'd have a song
From that gifted Irish nightingale, adept
| The matchless queen of melody, the peer
less Katharine Hayes
A vision of sweet loveliness and pure. an
gelic grace,
Rich golden hair encircling her classic
Irish face.
As she stood. picture. waiting there the
welcome to SubSide.
The beloved of that great multitude. it's
heroine. its pride.
Her voice. superlatively sweet. her hear
did enthran;
Her tender cadence We're heard from
Kinsale to Donegal
She sang Believe Me- '-Paustheen
Fionn.'' The Last Rose and
Which stirred her hearers to a grand
spontaneous hurrah-
And now appeared. with harp in hand, a
venerable man.
With hoary locks. his sight restored; ;
twas great OCarolan,
The widest known and best beloved of
all the minstrel band.
Which wrought that priceless treasure
the music of our land.
He struck his harp. the empyrean was
filled with sweetest strains,
That Will live while e'er a veStige of our
Celtic remains;
AS his fingers deftly touched the strings
his face with pleasure shone.
Recalling pleasant memories of the tri-
umphs he had won
| That gem of plaintive melody. "O'Caro-
lan's Farewell
He rendered with a pathos which no
As, also. his Concerto and Receipt for
Drink fine.
| And his stirring '.Planxty Peyton'-may
his memory ever shine
Now seated on the stage. with union pipes
upon his knee.
Appeared the famous Talbot. a familiar
sight was he
To those contempQraneouS souls from
Cavan, Louth and Meath.
Who, wnen in flesh. oft placed upon his
a WI h