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

with baskets of fish, and from our
windows in the comfortable Railway
Hotel We can see the inhabitants come
strolling along in an indolent and in
different manner to buy their break
fasts. They have the choice of va
riety of fish, and the prices are re-
markably low. A fine, fat mackerel
costs a penny, a Goldfish sixpence. and
for a shilling one can get a haddock
big enough to last large-sized fam
lily for a week.
Upon the hillside overlooking the
town is an imposing church which has
an air of magnifcence in comparison
with the rest of the town-is ten
times as large and ten times as glori-
Gus for Clifden as st. Peters is for
Rome. 1t was built only few years
ago from the contributions of the pea
SAINTS. 1t will seat 900 people and is
filled twice on Sunday with devout
worshipers. Father Lynch, the curate,
told me that it was necessary to have
two masses and sometimes three on
Sunday to accommodate them ali, and
some of them come eleven and even
twelve miles, most of them on foot, to
attend worship. Here, as everywhere
in Ireland, religion is the first and
most important thing in life, and the
church is the gateway to happiness
and Heaven. There is also a Protest.
ant church, much smaller, but not in
significant. which stands upon an op-
rosite hill, surrounded by a graveyard
in which there are some venerable
tombs.
Clifden is the seat of several i'm
rortant families, including the Mar
tins. who formerly lived at Ba:iyna-
ninch Castle, a plain, large, stern
looking embattled building. which was
the scene Of Charles Levers novel,
THE Martins Of Gro Martin" 1t was
the home of Colonel Richard Martin.
M. p, the inventor and organizer O;
the first society for the prevention OF
cruelty to animals in the world, and
the author of Martins Acts" punish
ing those who are guilty of that Of
Tense. He spent large sums of nioney
in the enforcement of this law and in
organizing societies and establishing
hospitals for diseased and wounded
animals throughout the kingdom. but
was otherwise extravagant :and went
through his fortune.
Colonel Martin was the original Of
Godfrey O'Malley," the hero Of Lev
er's novel, and the sketch is said to- be
very accurate. He was reckless, ex-
travagant, but generous, warm.heart-
ed man and died sacrifice to his eff
forts to relieve the sufferings of his
tenants at the time of the famine.
His only child. Mary Martin, mar
ried an American. Colonel Dell of New
York, and lived in that city until her
death. Although she was known as
the Princess of Connemara and in
herited an empire in area, she was
never able to maintain the state that
her father was so proud of, and :92,-
900 acres of her vast domain was sold
by the courts to settle his debts. be-
ing purchased by the Law Life Assur-
ance Company. Richard Berridge, 4
London brewer, bought another tract
CT 100000 acres and the young woman
scarcely. missed 1t, so extensive were
her lands. But they were of little val
ue. being mostly mountain peaks and
barren moors.
Colonel Martin. once silenced the
prince regent, who during the early
part of Queen Victorias reign was
boasting of the famous Long Walk of
Windsor, by scornfully declaring that
the avenue which led from his front
gate to his hall door was thirty miles
long; and that was very nearly the
truth.
Clifden Castle is the seat Of the De
Arcy family, who built and owned the
town Of Clifden and were formerly
very rich, but a very little is seen Of
them at present.
q
Marconi's wireless telegraph station
occupies a bleak, rocky promontory
extending out into the sea about three
miles from the village. 1t is sur
rounded by a large tract of barren
moor and is inclosed in barbed wire
fence, which no one is allowed to pass
without permit. There are several
corrugated iron buildings, comfortable
but temporary. for generating fur
naces. ofhces and dormitories for Mr..
Marden. the superintendent, and seven
assistants. There is minia ture rail-
way connecting them with the hsrbor
to bring up coal and other supplies
from the bay, for it REQUIRES a lot of