The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-11-02

Black Tom Butler, the tenth early of
Ornond, who was a great favorite of
Queen Elizabeth.
Not far from Carrick are the Come
ragh mountains, which are without
peaks, but have among their many re-
cesses some lovely lakes, of which
Coumshingawn Tough is the prettiest.
1t is 1850 feet above the level of the
sea, and on the west side is a cliff that
rises perpendicularly to the height of
1000 feet. On the north side is point
called Jacobs Ladder, which COM
mands a splendid view-rich wood
lands, green pastures, shimmering
lakes, lofty towers and historic ruins.
Clonmel, the county town of Upper
airy, is a lovely little town in the midst
of very picturesque scenery, and is in
teresting chiefly because it was the
! birthplace of Lawrence Sterne, author
of the immortal "Tristram Shandy."
Twelve miles from Limerick juno
ton there is a railway station called
! Goods Cross, and five miles from that
station is the famous Rock of Cashel.'
An old legend says that the rock is
mouthful brought by Satan from the
| Devils Bit mountain" 1t rises alb
ruptly from an extensive plain to
height of 800 feet, and is crowned by
| the remains of Cormac's chapel, with
| its stone roof, the cathedral, a palace,
| a great stone cross and a building
called the Wears Choral house" Cor
mac Mccarthy. after whom the chapel
is named. was both king and archbish-
op of Cashel, being called to the throne
when over 20 years of age and after
spending the greater part Of his life
in a monastery. He was born in S3l
and died in 90S
The chapel is of hewn stone, both
walls and roof. The doorway is in
Saxon style, as are all the other parts
of the building. The ceiling is of
stone. groined with ribs springing from
the stunted Saxon pillars, with en-
riched capitals. There is one fine Sax
on arch ornamented with grotesque
heads of men and animals, placed at
stated distances from the base up
ward. The walls are relieved by pam
eled arcades. The pilasters Of these
arcades are beautifully ornamented
with fret and scroll work.
No one seems to know anything
about the origin of the Round Tower,
though it stands ninety feet high, built
of sandstone. while the castle and
church are of limestone.
The cathedral is in the pointed style |
and measures 200 feet from end to end. |
Divine service was held in it until |
lI4U. III 1850 Lie CblHtuIdI was DuIHGu
by Gerald the eighth earl of Kildare, |
who hoped by burning it to destroy the |
bishop Of Meath. The earl was arrested |
and imprisoned in the Tower of Lon
don; he was taken for trial before |
Henry VII and his council. The earl |
pleaded that he was not sufficiently !
learned to defend himself against so |
great a scholar as the bishop. The king |
told him to choose a counselor, and |
pledged his word that the man who |
was chosen should defend him. Give |
me your hand on it" said the earl.
Here is my hand" said the king, |
and choose a good one, for thou art |
in sore need
Il will choose the best in England"
said the earl.
And who is that?" asked the king.
THE king himself" was the reply.
At this the king laughed, and, turn
ing to his council. said: "a wiser man
might have made a worse choice"
When the bishop charged the earl
with burning the cathedral he not only
the act, but confessed
that he had hoped that the bishop was
inside. This amused the king, but ir-
ritated the bishop, who exclaimed:
Your majesty must see that all Ire
land cannot rule his man"
Then he shall rule all Ireland"
promptly replied the king, who had
been impressed with the frankness of
the earl. The king appointed him lord
deputy and restored to him his honors
and estates.
Limerick is the sixth port in Ireland;
it occupies a fine situation on both
sides Of the River Shannon; centuries
ago. it was known as Lummach-the
10 of |
it was occupied by a gang of outlaws
who plundered the country and brought
their booty to this headquarters in
the town. Limerick was supposed to be
IN important place in the time of St.
Patrick: however, little is definitely
known of its history before the arrival
Of the Danes in So. After being de-
'eated many times, the Danes captured
the city and held it until 1913 when
they were subdued by Brian Boru. On
he arrival of the English in liza, Lin
erick was the capital of the Kingdom
i Thomond, or North Munster Henry
II soon after he landed obtained pos
session of it, but upon his departure
from the country the native prince re-
gained his territory.
In 1175 Raymond lie eros, with the
assistance of the king of Ossory, In
vested the city and by fording the riv-
pr in the face of the enemy, so daunt- ;
ID them that he was allowed to enter
almost without opposition. He secured
he city by garrison, but on the death
If Strongbow the place was again
evacuated by the English.
This territory was divided by King
John amongst some of his followers, Il
who introduced a colony of English
settlers, chiefly from the west coun-
Ty. During the many troubles and
'ebellions in the times of Henry VIII
md Elizabeth, the city was very loyal
IN the war which followed the rebel
ion of 1641 Limerick was seized by
Lord Muskerry. General Ireton, with
he parliamentary army, sat down be-
ore the walls in 1861 and after a siege
If six months the city capitulated. [
Worse, a thousand times, than the hor-
'ors of bombardment was the plague .
which broke out among the besieged
people and of which, on the surrender,
reton caught the infection and died.
When the troops marched out of the
,ity they had more the appearance of
skeletons than of men.
After the battle of the Boyne, King
William advanced against Limerick,
which was then garrisoned by the flow
e To- |