Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-09
BATTLE OF c(ONTARF
The Struggle. for Home and
Religion in ireland.
|SEEN FROM A TRAMCAR
Interesting Conversation Of q
Friendly Priest.
BRIAN B0RU IN HIS OLD AGE
He Prayed in His Quarters During
the Whole Engagement-Great
Slaughter on Both Sides.
BRIAN B0RU IN HIS OLD AGE
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.
Special correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
DUBLIN. July }, 1908.
Any one who will climb to the top of a.
tramcar marked "Howth" at Nelson's
Pillar, the focus OF all Dublin. can
enjoy what the Irish claim to be the
most delightful trolley ride in the United
Kingdom. 1t will take You entirely
around the great island hill at the north
entrance of the harbor of Dublin and for
q mile or two on the shore of the Irish
sea. For the first fifteen or wenty min
utes the car runs through the busy streets
Of the city, past the Amiens street rail-
way station. which. a friendly priest who
occupied the adjoining seat told me, oc-
cupies the site. of the house In which
Charles Lever wrote Harry Lorrequer."
Charles O'Malley" and other famous
novels: and the good father sighed when
he said that the reckless gayety and the
jolly folks that Lever painted with his
pen existed no longer. He was most in
teresting companion, was this friendly
priest. and talked necessarily Of the
scenes and associations through when
our little journey led.
We passed a monumental gate support
ed by two classic columns. One of them
was marked in large letters "Deo Duce
and the other "Ferro COmitante" c'With
God for my guide and a sword oy my
side") which he told US was the motto
upon the coat of arms Of the great Lords
Charlemont, who had taken so active a
part in the history Of Ireland. 1t was a
famous family, he said, although the
present earls are decadents and nave no
place in public affairs.
This ancient family seat. called Marine
was built at a tremendous cost by a
dilettante earl, who never allowed his
expenditures to trouble him. but left the
anxiety entirely to his creditors. The
interior of the villa at the time 1t was
built was the perfection OF art and lux
ury The floors, the ceilings and the
wainscoting were of mosaic. The walls
were hung with the finest Irish poplln
and decorated by the most noted artists
Of the time. The villa has been the scene
Of CHASTITY carousals and assemblies OF
the finest intellects In Ireland. The grave
and the gay have gathered and dined be-
meath its roof, but the estate was sacri-
feed to the extravaganza OF the FAMILY,
and its spiendOr, SomeE hat tarnished ana
rusty, to be sure. is now enjoyed by the
students Of the Christian Brothers. who
occupy the beautiful villa for school.
Seen From Top Of Tram Car.
On one side Of the car line high walls
shut out to the ordinary passerby the
beauties they are intended to protect, but
from the top Of the tram car one can
share them for tuppence. On the other
side is the water, the Bay OF Dublin and.
running parallel with the shore, is long
spit of land called the North Bull, which
was formerly a terrible menace to the
commerce of the coast. Nearly every
winters gale sent a ship or two to de-
struction and the bodies OF hundreds OF
poor seamen have been washed up where
the children ere now playing in the sand.
Here and there the skeletons of dead yes
sells may yet be Seen but the North Bull
Is no longer dangerous Modern devices
protect navigation, and In the midst OF
the heather and the glowing yellow gorse
golf links have been laid out and a club
house has been erected, surrounded by IL
laos laburnums and hawthorns, now In
the full glory of their bloom 1t is only
twenty minutes ride by street car from
the center of Dublin, and the business
men can come out here to spend tie long
summer evenings at their sport.
A little farther on is beautiful man
sion built in 1885 upon the site and with
the materials Of Clontarf castle, one of
the oldest and most famous within the
English Pale, which was an area sixty
miles long and thirty miles wide around
the city of Dublin. The castle originally
belonged to the Knights Templars and
from them passed TO the knights of st.
John. In 1541 1t was surrendered to the
crown by Sir john RawsOn, prior OF
Kilmainham. who was created Viscount
of Clontarf as compensation.
Battle of Clontarf.
The famous battle of Clontarf, the final
struggle between Christianity and hea-
thenism on the soil of Ireland, was fought
here on Good Friday in the year 1014 be-
tween the Danes. under Sigtryg the Vik-
ing, and the Irish. under Brian Boru.
Eight thousand men were slain on one
side and four thousand OH the other, in
Guiding every prominent chief The Irish
were victorious, and although the Danes
were not Immediately driven from the
island, it was the end of their domino
ton. They came in thousand boats all
the way from Denmark. from Scotland,
the Orkneys and from the many islands
Of the north, and when their leaders
were killed they fed to the water to re-
gain their ships, which lay at anchor or
were beached on the shore of Dublin bay.
The Irish warriors followed and continued
to slay them until the sea was crimson
with heather blood.
Brian Boru was not a myth, although
we commonly associate him with fairy
tales. He was the real thing, and ii is
often said that he was the only freshman
who ever did rule successfully over all
Ireland. He was the first of the OBrians
and y as King of Munster. His early ca
reer was very much like that of Alfred
the Great, who lived but short time
before him in the middle of the ninth
century, and he was not only the greatest
warrior, but the greatest lawgiver and
executive and the greatest benefactor of
his native country in the semi-sayage
days.
His rival was Malachi the Great, the
first Of the O'Neils, who became King of
Meath In $50 and reigned at Tara. To
keep the peace Brian Roru and Malachi
agreed to divide Ireland between them.
but they did not get along we'll together,
and Brian drove Malachi from his CAPT.
tai far into the north. Malachi finally
submitted, and then all Ireland, for the
first time in it's history, was at peace