Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-27
LAND OF THE O T0OlES
Scenery That Charms Artist
and Antiquarian.
HINTS OF SWITZERLAND
Homes, Tombs and Sanctuaries OF
Irish Celebrities.
VALLEY OF SEVEN CHURCHES
From Glendalough to Wexford
Through a Land Famous In
Song and Story.
HINTS OF SWITZERLAND
VALLEY OF SEVEN CHURCHES
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.


By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star ana 'ne
Chicago Record Herald.
WEXFORD, Ireland. July IL. 1Soo
This lovely section of Ireland Is espe-
cially fascinating to the artist ana the
antiquarian. The scenery Is not so VIII
nor on so large a scale as that OF the
Alps. but bits of Switzerland in miniature
are scattered about among the Wlckio"
hills. including several very respectaoie
mountains Douce one Of them, Is 1854
feet high. Duffhill 1894, Gravale 1882 ana
Kippure 2,473 feet. They rise abruptly
from the level of tidewater within few
miles of the sea, which makes them seem
much higher. Concealed among them are
several charming little lakes and rugged
canyons. glens and dense forests. Nearly
all of these are associated in religious his
tory with the lives of several saints who
came here in retreat. for meditation. or
lived like hermits in the caves and dells,
and prayed for the salvation of the world
The Home of Laurence Sterne.
This was the home of Laurence Sterne,
author of Uncle Toby and Corporal
Trim. The record of his baptism is in
scribed upon the registry of quaint old
church, and in 1920, according to the. local
traditions. he accidentally fell into mill
race and narrowly escaped being crushed
to death by the water wheel which was
working at the time.
This was the land of theO'Tooles. The
ruins of Castle keyen, the stronghold OF
the clan, are visited daily in the summer
by hundreds OF people.
There are twenty-one mountains more
than two thousand feet nigh, three more
than three thousand uugnaynIlIa). in
this immediate neighborhood, and within
twenty miles of the coast.
Sir Walter Scott was here in 1885, and in
a letter to Miss Maria Edgeworth, the
famous authoress, thus described his ex
perence:
81 am just returned from Vic zlow, de-
lighted with all / have seen. Here wood
water and wilderness do not have so
much charm of novelty for a north as for
south Briton. But these are intermin-
gled with an appearance of fertility which
never accompanies them in our land and
with a brilliancy of verdure which justi-
fies your favorite name of the Green
Isle. The ruins Of the seven churches are
singularly curious; the oldest places, per-
haps. where the Christian faith was
taught and which still remain standing.
1 fear they will not stand long unless
means are taken to preserve them.
Yesterday I had the honor to lunch
chaff being better than other folks corn.
his excellency's lunch served me for my
dinner"
st. Kelvin and the Seven Churches
Glendalough is known as the Ancient
City of Refuge" and the weird. mys-
ferrous, somber scenery is associated with
one Of the strangest manifestations of
human piety that may be seen any
where. For here, within the shadow of
gaunt and gloomy mountains, st. Kelvin.
1.-The Fair Born prince of the house
of Leinster, which produced five saints in
single generation-three brothers and
two ssters-built seven tiny churches in
a group. The place is known as the VAL
ley of the Seven Churches. Each Of
them has its own individuality. Each is
dedicated to a different saint. and all
have been the homes. places of worship
men and devout Christians for 1900
years AS Sir Walter Scott says. they
are probably the oldest buildings now
surviving in any country in which the
Christian religion was taught, and nat
urally have a corresponding interest
and sanctity to all who love their Lord.
st. Kelvin died in 61s. after a remark
able experience. The date of his birth is
unknown He stands in fame and sane
tity among the Irish saints after ST.
Patrick. ST Bridget and St COLUMBIA
only. His uncle the Bishop of Ardstrad
was his preceptor, and. having renowned
his claims to the throne of Leinster. and
to all the pomps and vanities of the
world. he, retired to this retreat and here
spent the rest of his life. His biography
has been written several times and as
far back as the ninth century. 1t has re-
Gently been rewritten and published at
the expense of the Marquis Of Butte One
of the early writer's calls him "a soldier
of Christ in the land of Fire, a high
name over sea and wave. chaste and fair.
living in the glen of the broad line, in
the valley of the two lakes
Keyen loves a narrow howell.
1t is work Of religious modification
To be everlastingly praying,
But a great shelter against demons.
Legend Of Blue-Eyed Kathleen.
ST. Kelvin lived in a hollow tree for
seven years and afterward in a narrow
cave in a precipice of great height. over
hanging the lake, to which there Is no
access but by boat. According to ira
dition. he came here to escape from
"eyes of most unhOly blue" worn by
maid named Kathleen, with whom he
fell in love in spite of his monastic vows.
The legend says that she traced him out.
and when ST. Kelvin woke from his sleep
one morning he found her sitting beside
his bed He rose and hurled her into the
lake, afterward whipping himself with
nettles as penance.
There are many other legends concern
ing him. but most of them are romance.
There Is no doubt, however of his piety.
and that he founded the seven churches.
His feast is celebrated with great cere
mony June 3. the day on which he died.
The seven churches are all small and
stand in group around a cathedral with
in sight of each other, except for the
foliage. They, are roofless and partially
ruined, but of late years the board of
public works has taken possession of
them repaired them and Is keeping them
in order Several monasteries have been
mainta aimed here from time to time, and
thousand years ago Glendalough was one
of the most famous seats of learning in
the world. Scholars and students came
here from all parts of Europe to study.
Land of the O'Tooles.
This country, as I told you. was then
controlled by the clan of O'Tooles. and in
1862 ST. Lawrence OToole. Archbishop of
Dublin was Abbot of Glendalough. He
went with six other Irish bishops to the
Lateran council in Rome in ITO and died
November Ia. 1850, at Eu. in Normandy
on his way home. The principal church
of that city is dedicated to him. and his
body is buried under it's high altar: but
his heart was brought back to Glenda-
Tough, and, inclosed in a silver casket is
hanging in the chapel of ST Laud.
Ancient Sancfu ries