Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-15
MUCKR0SS ABBEY
Tombs of the Mace arthy Mors,
the Kings of Munster.
0'DONAGHUE O. THE GLENS
Now Owned by Son of a Dublin
Brewer.
THE FAMOUS OLD VIEW TREE
Historic Midnight Marriage of Flor
ence and Ai1een Mccarthy For
hidden by Queen Elizabeth.
HE FAMOUS OLD 'YEW TREE
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record-Herald.
KILLARNEY. August 6, 1908.
Muckross Abbey ranks with Melrose
Abbey in Scotland and kenilworth
Castle in England as among the most
picturesque and interesting ruins in the
world. The walls and the gothic win
dows, the tower and several other dis
tinctive features are well preserved, and
the ivy drapery makes it an exquisite
picture. The abbey stands within the
park of go acres that surrounds Muck
ross House. and is the property of Lord
Ardilaun, one of the sons of the late
Benjamin Guinness. the great Dublin
brewer. Lord Ardilaun has many beau
tiful places in different parts of Ireland,
but none is so beautiful as Muckross
House.
Last Of the MacCarthy Nor Family.
He purchased the property Of the Her.
bert family, who inherited it from Flor
ence MacCarthy Nor. who In 1850 mar
ried Agnes, the daughter Of Edward Her.
bert of this county. They had one son,
who was the last MacCarthy Nor in the
direct line, and that famous family be-
came extinct when he died without issue
in ITO. and the estate passed into the
possession of his mothers family, who
were the nearest relatives.
The Herberts have owned the place
since for generations and now that fani-
ly also is practically extinct. The last
Of the male line, the Hon. Arthur Her
bert, died in 1866. and a beautiful Celtic
cross has been erected to his memory
upon the highest hill in the neighborhOod,
overlooking the park that he priced so
highly and where he enjoyed SO much
pleasure. His widow and daughters
lived there for thirty years until they
expired, when the estate was offered at
auction and Lord Ardilaun bid it in for
s6},OOO He paid 91O,OOO more for fur
niture. pictures, live stock and other
property. making it cost him altogether
about 973,OOO. Now he offers it for sale
the whole thing-a house of thirty-two
rooms, park of go acres, the ruins Of
Muckross Abbey, with history and
legends galore-for s75.OOO. Perhaps he
would take less from the proper person.
Wanted for a Monte Carlo.
Last year a syndicate was organized TO
purchase the place and turn it into a
Monte Carlo. They proposed to make
the handsome old mansion a gambling
house and erect a large hotel with all
possible allurements nearby; but when
Lord Ardilaun learned Of the scheme he
instructed his solicitors TO insert in the
deed a clause stipulating that it should
be used for residential purposes only,
and that made it worthless to the syndi-
cate, so Muckross Abbey and its beautiful
surroundings are still in the market.
Muckross Abbey.
The abbey dates back to the dawn of
in, JraIo fS cit "a G
originally occupied in the fourth or fifth
century by a monastery founded by St
Finian Of Innisfallen and his monks. The
present building. however. was erected
by Donald MacCarthy Nor. Prince of Des-
mond. in 1880. and was finished by his son
in 1910, for the Franciscan friars, who
occupied it as a monastery and a college
There, was some kind of an institution on
the same site, between the monastery OF
ST. Finian and the present one. for an
ancient manuscript in the library OF
Trinity College. Dublin. gives an account
of it's destruction by fire in the eleventh
century. The founder, Donald MacCarthy
Nor built the beautiful chapel as burial
place for himself and his posterity.
Tomb of the Great O'Donaghue.
1t is also the burial place of the
O'Donaghues Of the Glens, and, In the
very center of the choir. is large square
tomb, in which was deposited the body
of the great O'Donaghue, the chieftain OF
the lakes, concerning whom SO many
legends are told as related in yesterday s
letter.
The ODonaghues were connected by
marriage with the MacCarthys, kings OF
Munster, and had their headquarters at
Blarney Castle. near Cork. Twe-ve gen
erations. SO far as the inscriptions can be
deciphered. of that proud family are ly-
ing here. and more than twenty genera
tons of O'Donaghues. The last Mac
band of Agnes Herbert, who lived in
Muckross House until his death in ITO
The last ODonaghue buried here was
Donal, a direct descendant of the
O'Donaghue of the Glens, who was a
member of parliament and died in 1889
His son, jeffrey, THE O'Donaghue." as
the head Of the family is always called
is a barrister living in Dublin, a gentle
man of high reputation and much infiu-
ence. although he has lost almost every
thing but his proud name and a lineage
that is interviewer with the history OF
Ireland since human actions were re-
corded.
The Men Of Kerry.
The grandfather of 1.-THE O'Donaghue'
was a captain in the Munster Fusileers
which were recruited in County Kerry and
StatlOned at chester. near LIVerpOoi, the
home of Gladstone. in 1850. during a re-
ligious agitation. A band Of rioters were
making ready to burn an effigy of the
pope, when Capt. O'Donaghue warned
the leaders that if such an insult to the
holy father was offered the Kerry mer
of his regiment would burn the city OF
Chester to the ground. When this threa,
became known the mob dispersed and
there was no more religious demonstra-
lions while Capt. ODonaghue and the
men of Kerry were in the Chester bar
racks
THE OiDona ghues were ginerally pray
ing when they weren't foightin' and