The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-12-28
An Irish vicerov.

An irish vtceroy.
The Marquise De Fontenoy gives
an interesting sketch Of the Irish vice.
roys, saying in part:
The viceroyalty of ireland dates
from the reign of Henry II, the first
Of Its incumbents being Hugh De
Lacy, in 117e. There have been sew
eral occasions. especially during the
latter half of the 18th century, when
it has been proposed to abolish it.
But this has always been opposed by
the Nationalists, who regarded the
maintenance Of separate court at
Dublin as emphasizing their separate
existence from Great Britain.
Since Ireland has always been more
or less ruled from the banks of the
Thames, even in the days prior to the
union. when there was an Irish par
lament at Dublin, the viceroy has had
relatively little real power. The lat
ter has been vested almost wholly in
the hands Of his principal secretary,
who, occupying a seat in the cabinet.
has been virtual master Of the island
and minister for Ireland.
The result Of this anomaly has been
that 1t has been difficult to find men
OF high order Of statesmanship will
ing to accept the role Of lord lieuten-
ant, content to act as scapegoat for
unpopular measures of their political
party, in the framing OF which they
have had no voice and in the execu-
tion of which they have no real au-
thority. Many OF the viceroys have
been such intellectual mediocrities as
to diminish sadly the prestige Of the
ONCE, in spite Of the extravagant
amount Of splendor and etiquette with
which 1t has been envfroned.
Some lords lieutenant have been re-
nowned for their drunken habits in a
country where conviviality Is the rule
rather than the exception, ana there
are few who do not know the story
Of that Duke Of Richmond, who, to
the dismay Of crown and cabinet. was
In the habit Of exercising when intox-
icated his viceregal preroEative of con-
ferring knighthood. The latter is q
privilege that until now has been en-
joyed bv no other subject of the
crowr-. Neither the viceroy OF India
nor even the royal governor general
OF Canada can knight a man. save by
a written authorization of the sover-
eign. But the viceroy Of Ireland can
knight whomsoever he lists, without
asking permission OF any one, and in
case Of the particular duke to whom
have referred above any excess of
stimulants invariably produced a de-
sire to knight every man he happened
to meet.
On one occasion when making a
viceregal progress through Galway,
and forced to spend the night at a
country town inn, he insisted. after
having been put to bed by his attend
ants after dinner in an Intoxicated
condition, on having the boots" of
the establishment brought into his
presence, and then and there, arrayed
in his nightcap and nightshirt he pro-
ceeded to knight the man, whose name
was Denny" Cure, enchanting as he
tapped him with his sword, "Arise,
Sir Denny Cuffe!"
On the following morning the duke
repented, as usual. and sending for
the boots" told him the whole affair
was a joke and had better be forgot
ten, at the same time slipping a
guinea into his hand. Sir Dennis
Cuffe, AFTER splitting on the coin for
luck, transferred it to his breeches
pocket. AMI then replied:
Il should be we'll PLACED to obleegs
your grace. But unfortunately men,
toned the matter to Lady Cufre (the
chambermaid Of the inn) and she
would sooner part with her life than
give up her title.''