Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-14
leEe, winnipeg, has been appointed a
Rhodes scholar for Manitoba.
RESTORING RUINS OF IRELAND
Historic Structures Neglected for
Years Are Assuming For
mer shapes.

-
DUBLIN, jan. 1~6-Cspecszi mo country
is richer in antiquarian relics than ireland
and in nj country have they been more
neglected. but this reproach Is now beins
removed by the commissioners Of publiS
works for ireland. who were empowered =
few years q TO take charge OF ancient
and historic buildings and monuments wher-
ever It was possible to obtain control OF
them. Since then much good work has
been lone and the commissioners have just
issued a report dealing with some Of the
principal relics under their care.
Perhaps the most interesting OF these Is
the Grfanan. or palace, Of Aileach. in
County Donegal. about seven miles from
Derry. It was for centuries the chief seat
Of the ancient northern kings of Ireland
and when one remembers the number of
times that It has been demolished one
wonders that one stone Is left on another.
There is stiIi a good deal of It left. how
ever. and the commissioners have restored
Il TO something like It's former proportions,
being careful to preserve its ancient char
acter and TO use only the ancient material.
There is no record Of the date Of the con-
struction OF the Grianan, but there are
plenty Of references to its attempted de-
struction. The earliest of these Ia found in
the Tripartite Life OF st Patrick, written
about the sixth century, when II IL spoken
OF as the remotely ancient seat OF the kings
Of Ireland. and In the Book OF Lecan there
is a list Of forty-four kings who reigned at
Aileach from the fifth TO the eleventh CEN
fury.
Its final demolition appears to have taken
place In 11O1 when Murtogh O'Brien. king Of
Munster. led . great army into Inishowen
49, NA.aI- Mtf-AzA T. e.
struction OF his own palace at Cenncora,
which had been RACED twenty years before
by Domnal OLochlain, who then reigned
at Aileach. Murtogh commanded his SOL
diers to take a stone back to Limerick for
every bag OF provisions they brought, and
there seems to be no record OF the Grianan
being rebuilt after that. The sack Of
Aileach was avenged in 1889. nearly 500
years after, when the O'Donnell Of the day
ravased Glare and destroyed the town of
Ennis.
Another extremely interesting old build
ing which has come into the hands of the
the commissioners is the Cisterclan Abbey
at the village of Grey Abbey, County Down,
near Belfast. 1t Is one of the most extensive
Ecclesiastical ruins in the three kingdoms.
but IT has suffered much at the hands Of.
vandals. The walls of the presbytery
remain at their original height,
but only a few feet of the walls of the
north and south transepts were standing
and some OF. the conventual buildings were
indicated only by mounds.
Another splendid ecclesiastical monument
which the Commissioner have taken charge
Of is the famous Rock of Cashel which not
only includes a magnificent ancient cathed-
raj, but also the finest specimen Of the
anceint Irish round tower in existence.
There is no doubt that the Rock is one
OF the earliest ecclesiastical foundations in
relan 1t is in the townland OF 81.
Patrick's Rock and while there is no trace
OF the original church It is thought that
the round tower was an adjunct to 1t. The
earliest record concerning the place states
that is was fortified early in the fifth
century by the King Of Munster and that
from tn . : ne Il took the name of CasheI,
from T. - 1T which he erected there.
The ear. ecclesiastical record mentions
Carmac. son Of Cuilennain, a prince who
was also Bishc., OF cashel, who was born
In SSl and was slain in battle in 9Os. 1t is
certain, however. that the church had
attained cathedral rank long before that.
Next in chronological order TO the tower
II chapel, which Is a beautiful
little Romanesque church in fine repair
and one Of the most perfect specimens Of
this period of architecture in existence.
II was built in i127 by cormac Mccarthy,
Kind OF Desmond and Bishop OF CasheI.
The interior OF the chapel and OF the
cathedral itself are richly ornamented with
sculptures and carvings and there are
traces OF elaborate paintings.
The cathedral was burnt in 1895 by
Gerald, Earl OF Kindare. who was called
before the king to account for his vandal-
Ism. He satisfied his royal master by
explaining that he thought the archbishop
or Cashel, against who he had an old
srudge, was inside.
1t was taken in 1917 by CromweIlian
soldiers under Lord Inchiquin, and was.
OF course. dismantled by them. 1t was
left In a rulnous condition until 1885 when
Is was partially repaired, and in 17zo IL was
restored as a cathedral. In 174e, however.
u was again abandoned, as a new building
had been erected, but it has been kept in
fair condition by the ecclesiastical COM
missioners who have Just turned it over
to the commission OF public works.