The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-08-29


the Connemara marble, the most val
liable stone in the United Kingdom,
often as fine in grain as the malachite
and lapis lazui! of the Urals and the
onyx of Mexico. 1t is used both for
construction and for ornamental pur-
poses and the quarries are very profit.
able.
The landscape is dotted with little
lakes and ponds which have no visible
outlet, but are all connected somehow
underground. Most of them cover
only an acre or two. but Lough Cor
rib is the largest in Ireland except
Lough Neagh. near Belfast. Lough
Mask and Lough Cong are also several
miles in length and two or three miles
in width. There are said to be 365
lakes. in Ireland, and one would Judge
that the larger number Of them are III
Connernara. They are fed by springs
and rainfall and sfe said:to abound liz
fish. The railway companies advertise
this as the best fishing ground in the
world 'and announce that they have
leased several of the loughs in order
TO provide free fishing to. all excur-
sionists. That is a great attraction
for city people when they take their
vacations. because elsewhere as a rule
when a man wants to go fishing he is
compelled to take out a license and
pay handsomely for the privilege
from $3.50 to IS day. Therefore
the advertisements of free fishing in
Connemara, combined with the seem
cry, which is highly admired and con-
sidered second only to that Of Switzer-
land, bring a great many people here.
But most of them are disappointed.
There is plenty of water to fish in,
there are plenty of boats to hire, but
fish are scarce end, no matter where
you go. the oldest inhabitant always
insists that he never knew time fish
ing was so bad as it is now. There
are many skeptics and few cynics
about who give you a true statement
of the situation. Boots" at the hotel
asserted that If anything could be
caught in the lakes we might be sure
that the fishing would not be free, and
added enthusiastically that the only
reason it was free was that nobody
ever caught anything.
The O'Briens were once kings Of
this country and they were driven out
by the O'Flaherties, who in turn were
driven out by the English. You can
see the ruins Of Castle Bally Quirk,
the principal fortress Of the O'F'laher-
ties, from the car window. and read
the terrible story of how the chief Of
that clan was imprisoned in it's keep
in the time of Queen Elizabeth and
starved to death. The O'Flaherties
were always "agin the government"
and were so impertinent in their re-
plies and so arrogant in their de-
meanor that Queen Elizabeth decided
to bring them to submission, and
nearly exterminated the family before
she did so.
THE o'Flaherty," the head Of the
family at present, is J. P. O'Flanerty,
justice of the peace, who lives at Lem
enfield, upon the ancient estates. bu,
retains very little of them.
If Clifden wasn't such a dirty town
il might be made a popular health re-
sort. The air is glorious; the natural
are grand and would
tempt many artists as well as admir-
ers of scenery. There are excellent
hotels here, but the town is decidedly
unattractive. There is considerable
fishing at Cleggan, neighboring viii
lage. which has been encouraged and
assisted by the government, and large
shipments of fish are made to Dublin
every day. Early In the morning -sev-