Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-21
FOUGHT OVER FOR AGES
Here Was Enacted the Infamous
Statute of determination.
IN MIDST OF A LAND OF RUINS
Home of the Famous Ormonde
Family, With Its Many Vicissi-
tudes-Cross of Cashel.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

KILKENNY, August a. 1908.
This is one of the prettiest and most
interesting little cities of the kingdom and
= Is simply loaded with historical associa-
lions, political personal. military and re-
ligious. No town has more fascination
for a student of the history of Ireland.
because here was enacted that extraor-
binary and outrageous code known as the
Statute of Kilkenny of 1867, which was
intended to exterminate everything Irish
from the face of the EARTH
Infamous Statute of determination
According to this law. intermarriage,
trade and relations of every kind between
the English settlers in Ireland and the
natives was forbidden as high treason,
and the punishment was DEATH 1t was
intended to separate the two races en-
tirely for forevermore. If any man wore
Irish clothing or used the Celtic language
or rode horse without saddle. as the
Irish were accustomed to do, his lands
and houses were forfeited and he was
sent to prison. The Irish We're forbidden
to follow their ordinary customs and
habits and We're commanded to speak
only English, a language they did not
know. 1t was forbidden them to speak
Celtic, 1T was forbidden them to sing
tive songs or to receive or listen to Irish
bards or pipers. No native could become
q clergyman. a lawyer enter any of
the professions, and it was sought to OBJ
1iterate every possible connection with
the past. All Irish books and manu-
scripts were ordered to be destroyed and
If the intention of the parliament which
passed that law in Kilkenny in 1867 had
been obeyed. every event. tradition and
legend concerning the Irish race would
have been blotted out and forgotten for
ever But il soon became dead letter.
1t could not be enforced and the English
and the Irish continued, in a way. to live
8 rms md ,iayy
themselves as much as before.
Irish Confederation.
Then Kilkenny was the scene of the
famous Irish confederation. which met
here in 1912, with the intention Of recon
Cling all the conflicting interests in Ire
land and doing exactly the reverse of
what was proposed by the statute of
1861. 1t was desirable to unite the Irish
with the English to sustain King Charles
l and 10 defend the Roman Catholic reli-
gion against Cromwell and the parlia-
ment. Therefore Kilkenny became the
object of resentment and vindictiveness
to the parliamentary army when it in
vaded Ireland. The destruction COM
United by that army may be seen all
through this part of the country Kill
kenny Is in the midst of land Of ruins
and this country has been fought over for
ages-one of the most frequent scenes of
conflict in all the universe, ever since
history began.
No Smoke or Fog, Mud or Bog.
Kilkenny was once the capital of the
kings Of .Ossory. Today it is a busy,
thriving Little city of 10000 population
the cente. of fertile and productive dis
trict and one of the most prosperous COM
munities in all Ireland. There are marble
quarries and coal mines in the neighbor-
hood, and it Is often said that Kilkenny
is paved with marble. An old cOuplet
described its advantages this way:
Fire without smoke, air without toy
Water without mud, Land without bog
which refers to the use of anthracite
coal. to the purity of the atmosphere and
to the fact that the marble In the soil
sheds the rainfall and makes mud impos-
sible. The manufacture of tapestries has
been going on in Kilkenny for many years
and some very fine examples of that art
have been produced here under the in
structiOn OF artists imported from Flan-
ders by one of the earls of Ormonde.. !
There Is an Irish town and AN English
town, as in Limerick. and the two are
engaged in eternal controversy the
racial prejudice being intense
Kilkenny Cats and Racial Prejudice
This controversy, which at one time had
nearly impoverished both communities
was illustrated by writer two centuries
ago by the famous story OF the Kilkenny
cats, which. by the way, Is said to be
true. In the sixteenth century during the
time of Queen Elizabeth some soldiers
OF the English garrison at Kilkenny Castle
amused themselves one day by catching
two vagrant cats. tying their tails to-
gether and hanging them over line. An
lndig9ant ofncer coming up in the midst
OF their hiiarity. endeavOred to separate
the animals and, being unable to do so
released them by slashing off the tails of
both with his sword. and as their paws
touched the ground they fled into oblivion
The wagSish soldiers preserved the rem
nants OF the tails and showed them as
evidence of the combative abilities of tine
cats OF Kilkenny, which fought until moth
ing was left but their tails
NHkenny claims the most beautiful
church In Ireland, the Cathedral of s,
tanice, formerly Roman Catholic but
since the reformation belonging to the
Church OF ireland. II dates back to 1871
g put was thoroughly restored in 1865 and Is
now In almost perfect condition 1t IS
particularly rich In medieval monuments
and no other church in the country can
compare with them in number variety,
artistic beauty and historic interest.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral is also
gem and entirely modern, having been
complete and consecrated in 1857. 1t is
greatly admired for the symmetry and
chasteness of its details.
Castle of Kilkenny.
Kilkenny Is also famous as an educa
tlonal center, having several not ed schools
one OF them, known as The College has
had Dean Swift. Bishop Berkeley twbo
went to America in 172s and established
schools and missionary stations). Con-
greve and other famous Irishmen as
pupils. ~
The Castle of Kilkenny which was
erected by William lie Mareschal, son-in-
law of strongbow, in 1871. is still in ex-
cellent condition. but has been added
10 and repaired from time to time during
the centuries. 1t was thoroughly altered
and restored about fifty years ago by the
father of the present Duke of Ormonde
and has since been occupied the greater
part of the year by the family Fortu-
pately. in the extensions and RESERVATIONS
the original character of the structure
has been preserved and it's individuality
has not been impaired. 1t forms three.
sides of a large quadrangle with three
round towers. castellated in the styIe Of
the twelfth century.
The dining hall. Is one OF the finest
rooms in Europe and contains many
pieces of gold plate, antique ivory and
china that have been in the Ormonde fam
lily for centuries.
Gallery of Masterpieces.
The picture gallery is a splendid apart
ment 40 feet long and 30 feet wide 1t
contains more than 1870 pictures includ-
ing family portraits by Van Dyck, Hol-
benz, Lely, Kellner. Reynolds and others
and gems of Murillo. Correggio. Salvatore