The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-17
THE SKEILIGS LIST"
"Fort-del-Ore.

and staid among the people Of 1.-THE
Kingdom Lists of names We're drawn
up in Cork and handed in to the &C.
clesiastical authorities. An investiga-
ton followed. and the pilgrimages were
denounced from the altar. After this
the custom began to decline rapidly
Though it was not until about 1850 that
the pilgrimages ceased altogether.
Nothing now is left to remind us of
these pilgrimages to Skelligs Michael
save the so-called "Skelligs Lists"
The Skelligs List was in the Begin
ming merely the report of the proceed
ings on the rock. But this method Of
dealing with a subject so rich in the
materials of romance appeared entirely
too prosaic to certain young poetasters
who were anxious to display their
powers. The result was the present
form Of Skelligs List.
AS far as we know the "l..t" Of to-
day is q product wholly Indigenous to
Munster. 1t still flourishes in Kerry
and Cork. and perhaps in parts Of
Limerick. Time was when the phrase
going to tho Skelligs'' was familiar
one to the generality Of 1rishmen, but
nowadays 1t has lost its significance
to all except Munstermen.
The object of the Skelligs List was
to caricature those unfortunates. man
and maid, who at the end of the
tidc-from the Epiphany to
ASH Weinesday-still remained UNI
exiled to the Skelligs as a sort Of
pcnitcntial offering to the offended
gods of love. The production might
not III the majority of cases, stand the
severe scrutiny of classical taste. but
it never failed to cause the laughter it
was intended to provoke. Yet 1t must
not be imagined that all the products
Of the muses. were mere doggerel. They
sometimes reached a. really high level
Of poetic merit. The following are
specimens of the average List"
On Shrove Tuesday eve as went for
a stroll,
The cares Of the day to dispel;
My ear DER the wave caught the deep
booming toll
And swing Of mariners bell.
It came from the three master out in
the bay,
A signal to rouse up the land,
For many n couple were destined that
day
To sail for the bleak Skelligs strand.
Then followed q highly humorous
down to the waters edge. 1t can be
readily seen that herein is afforded a
splendid opportunity for paying off old
scores-an opportunity not neglected
by some, as may be seen from the fol-
lowing thrust at n rather parsimonious
sailor wooer:
Many times had Jack
Tried in vain to win her;
Sailed on every tack.
But the tight old sinner
Never won the prize.
She was cold and naughty.
Jock had croolrod ovac.
Meier a present bought he.
A young swain who pretends indif-
ference to female charms, but whom
the poet knows to have predictions
In certain quarter is thus described:
He saunters along with q free, jaunty
air,
A picture of nonchalance seems;
But Jennie, sweet Jennie Of bright
golden hair
Lives Ger in his thoughts and his
dreams.
The poet opens with a glance at their
surroundings before he proceeds to
describe the motley gathering as
sembled on the rock:
On Skelligs wild shall they sleep to-
night,
Their bed the crag so cold
AS the misted moon sheds an cerie
light
On the peaks and the oam-tippcd
breakers bright,
While the dolphins play far out OF
sight
Mid the green ridged ocean fold.
! The more common form was, how
ever, that Of the ancient ballad. For
example:
Oh! list young maidens and elders
hoary
With me be patient little while.
I won't detain you long with my story
OF the band that sailed from oul
blessed isle.
1t was last night that the hooker bore
them
To Skelligs Michael, with swelling sail
And the pains Of love and of exile tor,
them.
AS DER the waters I heard them wall
! The above specimens are suficien
to give the reader an idea. Of tn,