Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-05-21
DON .HAUCEN IS
DOING IRELAND
Soldier Son of X. /. Haugen, OF This
City, Writes Very Interesting
Letter to DIR. and Mrs.
StabO
TELLS ABOUT IRELAND'S
MANY INTERESTING PLACES
Visits the Lakes of Killarney and All
Other Important Places of the
Emerald Isle
London, England
April 26, 1919

| London, England
| April 26, 1919
| Dear Dr. and Mrs. Stabo:
1t is such a long time since I wrote
to you. l hope you will forgive me.
l can only plead the lack of inter-
esting news. Now, however, have
some very interesting news. 1 have
just returned from a trip through
Ireland, Scotland and Wales. I was
accompanied by another Decorah
boy. whom I don't think you know.
we We're gone eighteen days in all,
and besides being very interesting
1t was also very instructive. Our
first stop out of London was Cardiff.
wales. AS it was only matter of
train connections We spent only
few hours there. Cardiff is a great
harbor and shipbuilding center and
we managed to get down to the
docks for about an hour. EVERYTHING
there was humming and a hustle,
Just throbbing with the life of in
dustry.
There is also a famous castle at
CardiH, but it was undergoing some
repair at the time, so we couldn't
see it, We saw plenty of castles be-
fore We got through, however. so
perhaps it was not such a loss at
that.
Leaving Cardiff in the early part
or the evening We crossed the Irish
Channel from Fishguard to Ross
iare in the early morning and arriv-
ed at Cork just in time to wash up
and get ready for lunch.
About six miles from Cork is a
small village called Barney. There
we found the Blarney Castle with
it's famous Blarney stone. It is a
real nice ride out to the castle, and
the scenery after we got there was
about as peaceful as anyone could
wish. The castle is a very old sort
OF thing and has the distinction or
being the only one that Cromwell
couldn't take. OF course We kissed
the Blarney stone, which ceremony
Is supposed to endow one with
wonderful powers of Establishment.
haven't noticed any marked diff
terence in my speech as yet.
The next morning we went to
shandon Cathedral, in Cork. where
the Shandon Bells are. The man of
the bells played Believe Me if All
Those Endearing Young Charms.
| and annie Laurie" for us. The
bells are eight in number and very
| sweet toned
Leaving Cork shortly after lunch
we arrived in Killarney in the late
afternoon. The next morning we
climbed aboard coach and went for
long drive through the lakes. They
are three in number and in the most
| beautiful setting. The foliage along
the borders of the lakes was very
dense and gave promise of great
| splendor in three or four weeks.
There were few early FLOWERS out.
but of course they were nothing to
what will be showing there soon.
The lakes nestle down among some
low mountains, which in spite of
their small height are very rugged
and wild. We were enabled to climb
about good deal and got a chance
TO test their ruggedness.
The next day we left Killarney
and after ride of about six hours
through some really delightful
country we arrived at Dublin. OF
course Dublin has suffered IN appear.
ance as the result of recent rebel
lions, particularly that of 1916, but
there We're many fine things to see
there just the same. We went thru
the Bank OF Ireland, which occupies
the building where the Irish Parli-
ment sat up to 1898 when II was
moved to England. The rebels say
that after peace is signed the Parli-
ment will once more set there. Time
will tell.
Just across the street is Trinity
College, founded by Queen Elizabeth.
There we found some very interest
ing things, greatest among which
was the library. Millions Of volumes
are kept there, many of them very
old and priceless. Perhaps one of the
most interesting was the Book of
kells, which has those marvellous
capital letters which are so very
artistic as to be almost unbelieve-
able. Each one, they say, contains
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