The Irish standard., 1908-08-08

reach it. A slip would send you head
first to the ground, 120 feet below.
The only way in which it can be done
is for the person who tries to support
himself over the edge of the wall by
straps from the top, and with his face
upward, draw himself across until his
lips can reach the stone. Almost ev.
erybody that visits Blarney Castle
comes home with tale of the time he
mad in kissing the Blarney stone, but
no one has seen him doing so for
years, and it can only be done by car
rying tackle to the castle. Mrs. Hanna
Ford, a gentle and considerate old
lady, who has been custodian of the
place for more than thirty-six years,
told me that she had never known but
half a dozen people to kiss the stone
in all that time.
Sir George Colthurst, the owner,
charges a sixpence of every visitor
and collects scarcely enough to pay
the expense of keeping the place in
order. The visitors average about
one hundred a day during the sum.
mer months, but nobody ever goes out
there during the winter.
The castle and the surrounding
property were confiscated by Crom-
we'll in 1916, but Charles H., upon
succeeding to the throne, restored
them to Donough MacCarthy and made
him Earl of Clancarthy. But the cas-
tie was never restored, and it remains
now very much as it was left after it
was besieged and captured by Crom-
wells Covenanters. The new Earl of
Clancarthy, who got considerable mon
ey with his wife. who was the daugh-
ter of Lord Montjoy, built a modest
mansion out in the sunshine on an
eminence near by. The castle, like all
the strongholds of the Irish chieftains
of that age, is down in the glen. The
reason for selecting that location was
the necessity of having access to wa.
ter In case of siege. Several of the
Clancarthys took distinguished part
in political and military affairs; one
of them was an ambassador, and they
have been brave soldiers. The present
earl is Richard Somerset lie Poer
Trench and he lives at Garbally, Coun.
ly Galway.
The property passed out of the pos.
session of the Clancarthys as long ago
as 1903, when it was purchased by
General Sir James Jeffreys, an ances.
tor of the present owner. Sir George
st. John Colthurst
He must be good landlord, for ev.
erybody about the place speaks in the
kindest terms of him. and we could
see that he takes kindly interest in his
tenants, because on our way to the
castle we had to cross a playground
that he has arranged for their chill.
dren. There is a track for running
races and bicycle contests and field
sports, May pole, number of
swings. dancing pavilion and other
accessories for amusement and exer.
else, and the young men we found on
the grounds told us that an athletic
contest was coming off on Thursday
with prize of $40 to the champion
hammer thrower, S. to the second. $40
to the man and 10 shillings for the
boy under 16 who runs the fastest
mile. These prizes are offered by Sir
George himself and he personally su.
perintends the contest, which is an un.
usual condescension for an Irish land.
lord. Outside his demesne, that is his
own Immediate park and gardens that
surround his mansion, he has 800
acres leased and is on most excellent
terms with his tenants.
There has been very little trouble
with the landlords in this locality.
Perhaps that is due to a considerable
degree to the fact that the soil is rich
and the harvests are good, and be.
cause the farmers are able to get a
satisfactory return for their labor and
their money. Nearly all the large es
tates here are being broken up, how.
ever. and are being purchased by the
tenants under the act of 1903. Very
soon County Cork and the southern
section of Ireland will be owned by the
men who till the soil. Each farmer
Will have his own permanent home.
But the money provided by parliament
to be advanced to the farmers for the
purchase Of these estates has been
exhausted, as I wrote you last month.
and the transfer of titles to the new
owners has been suspended until ad.
! ditional funds can be raised. This
places the landlords that are selling
their lands in a very embarrassing sit.
uation. 1t is due. however, to nobody's
fault, but to. lack of foresight and
an error of nd IT..