New-York tribune., 1906-07-20
FREE DEAD: PEER DYING
association of the Fortunes of a
yohTe House sUith an Elm.

-'As = 4 that OF the earidorn OF Hovth. In
3 - - -,ssle which takes sts name from the
stp.,a rpon which Il stands, and which Is sit
Tt,--s .s,nt nine miles from Dublin, there is a
sfea -, ,ls elm. IL forms tho principal feature
". outward and SIS immense ase IS indicated
9 osbsr things. by the care with which .ts
sc s-e prOpped up. This preeaution has been
- -ot only IN an enGeavor 60 prolong the
sP,@ - tree but also because there IS a legend
50 x4sss4 that whenever a branch IS broken
g - s-,Ink the death of The head of the EOwth
co. - ne time being quickly follows. For the
q 80 OF three years the tree has been rotting
-. Naze and despite all the efforts 20 prolong
s -. - decay has sapped SIS vitals, and after
y s.,,,oa OF many centuries &c IS now dead.
:, e-.-n,usIv there comes the news OF the very
So rI,ess Of the venerable Lord Hovvth now
80 .ers OF age the last OF his line and with
e. ,s,s On his DEMISE which &c imminent and
" - nav have taken place ere this letter ep-
- -. s7 print, his family and his honors. which
- ru-lpEiss n barony granted by King Henry
= "a ooliirlned by King John. OF Magma Charta
.su become extinct. There Is. 90 say the
-. ,,-,ething strange about this disappearance
-. - .zrent family coincidenfly with the death Of
= - With which fits fortunes have been allied
,--.zsfuriss, and neither Lord Hcwth himself nor
=, The people OF his district have The slight
- s-t. about the fatal issue OF his present i'll
= tslng arnly convinced that his death kne1
- .s.n struck BY the destruction OF the tree.
- Hgwfh who IS the thirtieth holder OF the
- sarony. was at one time well known 10
- Americans. having been for a number OF
- master OF the hounds at Pau, in France, a
,,,s,a resort for wealthy United States citizens,
= -F,ra The numerous romances, the dramas and
:, tragedies Of his family were source OF never
-,v sn1erest It's founder was Sir Amory iris
- who received a grant from King Henry III
.s-r hin title TO all such lands as he should
- from the native Irish by the sword. An ac-
-. ~ his landing and Of his subsequent exc
-. 4 found IN the Book OF Eowth." which Is
,ss7vsa among the manuscripts in the library OF
<s-tsfh Palace. the London residence OF the
.-.1Eslhoo OF Canterbury. II relates how Sir
- married the sister OF his companion In
- The sieur de Courcy. upon St Lawrence's
- ana how he was sfterward known Sir
--.-scus Tristram de Sancto Laurentio. It is from
IL, circumstance that Tristram ST. Lawrence be-
=. sba patronymic Of the Lords Of Howth. who
:. .I,really descended from this doughty knight, a
-.-.snsge who has wandered out OF the Arthurian
Isssnas in which he figures. into the more or less
- nsges OF Burl1e's "Peerage." Among the
.s,.nres preserved at the castle is a sword. which
.,-,vs8 70 him aud which was discovered in the
- AZ one Of the Lombard kings in Northern
-gsfv II hears the inscription 'Cel est Fespee de
-+.sr Tristant dunt Il ocyst Tamoryt de Irlant
=. esg,le dates from the twelfth century, being
.,vgy rebuilt by Christopher. the twentieth Baron
"a rsoe typical baroniaI structure. with battle
,sptsa walls. grand old halls. with oak wainscot-
srr hack with age and filled with treasures OF art
"a history among the modern curiosities being
~ vreigfing machine used by the real Sir Roger
r1eaborne when a guest at the castle, while serv-
i-g as a subaltern with his regiment. the Cara
trssFs. st Dublin near by. This fact was put in
s7issncs at the trial Of the claimant when the
visitors book containing Sir Rogers autograph
ms also submitted TO the jury.
E7sry day for centuries past, no matter whether
-te C-ner' Of the castle has been IN residence or
at fhs big gates Of the castle. opening through
lie great gateway tower, have been solemnly
ftw and then Immediately opened at the dinner
h,R. This IS IN accordance with a pledge e1acteo
I'm sixteenth century Lord HoWth by a cele-
t-sfss irish chieftainess. Grace OAfalley, better
tuoEn IN irish history as CRANE u Mailie. Ac-
srang TO the story this lady, on her return from
ihs memorable visit paid 20 Queen Elizabeth IN
Ia-son landed at Howth and proceeded 10 the
essds 70 obtain refreshment, but found the gates
srssa owing as It was explained to her. to the
fact that II was the hour OF dinner Indignant at
t1sh a want OF hospitality. she seized the infant
har q Lord FIoWth. whom she encountered with
lis nurse on her way back TO her ships ana
carried him Of as a prisoner TO her castle IN Mayo.
Esr vas the child restored until its father bound
boh himself and his successors by solemn
Covenant that the gates Of the castle should never
has been rellgiously observed ever since.
nay add that the present Lord Howth is tne
scnaer OF the annual Dublin horse show, an m
tiruuon known to sporting in all parts or the
Emld is veteran OF the Crimean War ana Is a
Knight Of the Order Of ST Patrick
DEATH OF AN IRISH cHIEFTATN.
Ireland has lust lost one of its most picturesque
sgres through the death OF the Right Hon. Charles
Oven oconnor. whose official title was The
OConor Don He was a direct lineal DESCENDANT
q King Roaerick O'Connor. who exercised supreme
sggsEsignty in Ireland until 1lI2. when ne sur
Esnasrsd his sceptre to King Henry II OF England
But The oConor Don was able to trace ms
ancestry much further back than this. For ne
-zs & descendant OF Eochoidh Norghmeodhn' VINO
sssnea as king over Ireland until his deaUh' A "
5 and the latter's grandson. Duah Galacn. Clle
f1a Christian king OF Connaught COnchODe4li @ i
popularity known as ConnoT, and who dieo as ElA6
q Coanaught in s7S, represented the ninth genera
roa from the foundation OF tho dynasty ana II Is
run that time forth that the farli:J and the clan
we're known by the name OF o'Coanor
70 more striking evidence OF the antiquity OF tne
lineage Of the late OConor Don can be furnishe0
uia the fact that his estates in County Rosconl-
non have been in the possession OF his famliy lol
ever seven hundred years. Both he and his VIE
stood h;rb IN fa,,or Of Queen Victoria, who often
Invited them 10 dinner and on the following DAY
he Court Circular would officially announce tha'
snOng the Queens guests had been Inc y C~ouol ~
Don" and Madam O'ConEor The irish cniei-
iaiRs who have the prefix The to their name IN
Variably have their wives addressed as Madam
shsh IN this case is an oficial title. recognized as
faeh by the courts OF Great Britain.
TIE word The prefxed TO the name signines
hat the bearer thereof is the principal represents
I'VE Of one Of the great houses that once eXeIclseu
Sovereign sway over the Emerald Isle. Ihere ar
nny people in ireland who claim the right TO TINS
peaz, and who ooolly adopt it without shade" o.
sasTant. but among those few whose title IS un
Questioned. and recognized alike by the EneHsi
toFeFnment by the British Crown and by me peo
se Of Ireland are The ODonohu-e. The AacDet
noi. whose ancient title of Prince CoolaVin i
hpt I'd 10 the extent that he is always spoken o.
n his own country as "the Prince; The Mac