The Irish standard., 1908-08-22
The City of Violated Treaty" Contains a
Norman Fortress and Walls Thirty
Six Feet Thick.
Emigration to Other Lands Has Reduced It's
Population From $4,000 to 10000
in Twelve Years.

tnree or these machines. which stare
out at daylight In the morning, ana,
each goes in a different direction.
picking up the milk that is left in
cans by the farmers at convenient
cross-road stations. When the tanks
are al, filled the tuggernaut comes
rumbling into town. making more noise
than q. railroad train, discharges its
load at the condensed milk factory and
then starts out in another direction,
Limerick has population of about
100000 which has been reduced from
$4,000 during the last ten or twelve
years by emigration to America: and.
as we find IT the case everywhere, all
tEe' young men who can get money
enough to pay their steamship fares,
are emigrating. A great many young
women go also. and "the best blood Of
the country is lost to u.s. one Of the
priests remarked the other day. The
city has not increased in numbers for
centuries. It has merely held its own.
and some historians contend that it
had more population 500 years ago
than It has now. It dates away back
before the beginning of history.
st. Patrick came here on a. mission.
airy tour in the year 446, and that is
when authentic history begins. He
| remained hero for some time, and he
| founded several churches in the neigh-
borhood. Before his departure he
blessed the territories and their islands.
and prophesied the saints that would
dwell therein, their names and the
| times that they would arrive "The
| Green Island to the west" saith Pat
| rick. 'in the mouth of the sea, there-
In shall become the candle Of Gods
| household. who shall be the chief
crunsels for the district. namely Senan
Of 1nis Cathaig." Several Of the pla-
ces that We're visited by st. Patrick
and several of the churches that hs
| founded can sill be identified and
when the Danish power in Limerick
still many Christians among the in-
habitants. ~
In 1853 lived and reigned Donald
0 Brien. the last king Of Limerick. He
was fifth in descent from Brian Boru,
and was among the first to swear alle-
glance to the Norman invader, King
|
rived here, permitting an English gov
crnor to be placed in possession of the
city. But after King Henry returned
to England, Donald O'Brien lost no
time in renouncing allegiance and de-
cIaring his independence. And from
that time he fought the English with
great energy, until his death in 1884.
after a. reign of twenty.six years of
almost continuous conflict.
| However. King Donald found tinne
and money during the intervals of his
wars to erect a splendid old church
that still stands and is called st.
Mary's. He erected several other
churches and monasteries in Limerick
County, which bear witness to the re-
lligious zeal of Donald OBrien. The
ruins at Cashel. which are the most
extensive in all Ireland, are reminders
Of his piety, energy and generosity in
the Christian propaganda.
He is supposed to have been buried
In st. Marys Cathedral. and the most
ancient and noteworthy monument in
that venerable temple, a brown stone
slab. covered with a Celtic cross and
inscription. that is supposed to be the
lid of his coffin. This monument orig
inally stood on the grounds outside
the church and was moved inside in:
1860.
The present dean Is Very Rev. Lu-
cius Henry OBrien. son of that IA.
nous Irish patriot. William Smith
O'Brien. who was sentenced to. be-
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