Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21
A DAY IN COUNTY
GALWAY, IRELAND

We drove out OF GOrt. County Galway,
and our guide. whom we had on board for
safe keeping. especially OF ourselves. stop
ped the driver and assured us we had
something to sect was not far from
Gort or its environs. In rocky and un-
inviting region almost volcanic. We
looked ell around for castles and ruins.
hut saw none. except the appearance of
the visitation OF an ancient or recent earth
quake.
Yer honors." spoke the guide. yen
now see the Fairy White Trout. Sure
Il lives a the blacklist bottom o. this cave.
and " must take mighty good care how
We step down to the halls o. reception ay
lis majesty. fur the rocks are slippery rs
ice"
We followed him in silence. not. as Jules
Verne says, three thousand leagues under
the sea, but at least apparently. thou
sand fathoms beneath the surface of the
mountains, We proceeded. feeling and
crawling by the help Of canes and UNI
brellas. sliding over Shiny rocks and al
most in darkness until We're halted
ny IN" guide at the threshold of the with
drawing room Of his majesty. the Fairy
White Trout. The guide had provided resin
Gus torches and these had been distributed
and lighted They revealed nothing but shin
ing black rocks covered with patches or
masses of unhealthy vegetable growth, and
uisr arSed by the sudden Illumination col
ouies of black bats and rats that sought
the deeper galleries of their resorts.
squCaEiuE as they fed.
Then an was solemn silence among US,
obeyiug the signal of the guide. who, as
Stunning ar imposing attitude, stood with
tiuE-r on lip. There lay at our feet
pool bncker than IRE us or the hinges
OF night. unrudied as chaos. awaiting the
m8nds of the Creltor.
').te see him? There he gocs,- be jabers.
tha's him. Arrah here he comes agin"'
These ordinations broke from the lips
of. guide and driver in uncomfortable
sNCitsm-n. as We more quietly bcheld
emery" from the deepest shadows Of the |
cave ID long, slim, fat Snow-Nhitc trout, !
nearly or quite three feet long which dart
ed Ih" lightning across the vision poised I
t,arl. +-ly tanning himself with his fins
as l.l- 1teiN as lady at a ball. Then. |
lr"SUwiug the presentation was over. he !
disappeared without ceremony into the |
privacy OF his own slnctum saHctorum.
The Fairy Trout of Cong had not spot !
upon Him. He was bieached 10y the dark !
ness Of his home to immaculate snowy
Wilderness.
u being then near nightCau, and the
region wild. unknown and unsafe, we
sought shelter. for the night. Our guide |
SPOKE up for tavern kept by WILDLY
a certain Mrs. Flynn. Just a mile or so
beSaut on the road. They We're Irish
miles too-say FIVE for one-but we ar
rived there shortly after dark. Before we
turned Off from the highway which was 4
dimiuutiye Alpine ACTIVITY, the guide halted |
our lOw-baCk car on the highest pinnacle
Of our course and he proceeded TO rehearse
The legend of the ne ighb0rhood. Yer |
honors We obsarve that little pi,c Of rub |
hIsh way out in the middle of Tough Mask |
where the current is sweeping along strong |
enough to carry il all to Galway, yet 1t |
never moves or shakes IT. That little heap |
OF rubbish and ruins is all that remains OF |
the cashtle av-the Lord hev marcy on us |
aIl-av Prince Hattie. or Bishop Hatto. for |
he may have been both-a prince of the |
church, maybe, but by the same token he |
was none the better for being ayther
For phwat did he do? There was a |
time Of famine whn he assembled all the /
poor craythurs. min, women and children, /
av all this country. in wan av his barns, |
where there was set for them a thrap in |
the shape of wheat and oats. and hops and |
malt and livery sort o. grain except the |
yBller Ingin corn which come from AmerI- |
kay since. and invited thin all TO help |
thimsilyes.
An phwat does the cruel dIvil do? Lord |
forgive me for spanking OF a bishop and a |
prince O the church so, bur d divil he |
must have bin, changed by the Prime o |
Darkness. PhWat does the demon do but |
quietly close the big doors and winders /
and, slippin' out safe himself. set fire To /
the whole crowded building, chuckn' and |
laughiu an sayin' There now let EN- go: /
Thin he d rats thot consumes the corn. |
Every mothers soul of thin was burnt TO |
ashes. Sure. he had objections to the |
poor craythurs eatin' the corn, but they |
cuddent pay him for 1t, and that's phwat /
brought down their terrible doom upon !