The Coolidge examiner., 1933-10-27

w HILE many business men
" of America and Europe
w talk of ushering in new
era to end economic ills, the inhab-
itants of the Abrams, three small
islands off Ireland's west coast, go
their way, apparently untouched
by the worlds troubles.
Simplicity, harmony, and a feel
ing of remoteness are all close to
the root of the charm which the
Abrams have for the occasional Wis
itor. The islands seem not of this
age. for the workaday world lies
beyind the horizon of time as well
as that of space.
The beauty of the setting and OF
the human picture are equally un-
conscious.
There is a unity in the theatrical
panorama of sea and sky, the
medieval LONELINESS of speech and
the hearth and tool, the honest
weave as well as the madder and
indigo dye of textiles, the seraphic
countenance of every fourth or fifth
woman you meet on the undulating
roads.
In the bare sanctuary of these
islands the soul of ancient Ireland
now has it's ephemeral resting
place. Language and habiliments,
customs, traditions, flesh and
blood, from the days of st. Patrick
and before, forced westward
through Connaught during seeth-
ing ages, have concentrated at the
Abrams.
Although the largest island of
the group is less than nine miles
long, the three together have, at a
guess, as much stone wall as all
New England. Inishman, the mid
die island, boasts $500 miles Of
walls. Inisheer is not far behind,
while Inishmore may have several
times as much. No figures are au-
thentic, but if state ordnance Of
ficer were to tell you there are 1O,-
600 miles of walls upon the three
islands. you would admire his con-
servatism.
Huge Duns on the Hill.
Picking up blocks of limestone
and disposing Of them in the only
way possible must always have
been the chief occupation of the
inhabitants. The prehistoric peO-
pie INDUCED themselves by rearing
on the hilltops massive. buttressed,
Cyclopean forts. such as Dun
Aengus and six others, ringed
about with many concentric breast
works and chevaux-de-frise of stone.
These duns are among the most
magnificent barbaric monuments
that survive In Europe. Fortunate
ly, the later islanders were under
no temptation to pull them down;
rather, they were forced to emulate
the example of the first builders.
and to continue the unmortared
masonry on less heroic scale
down the long slopes to the very
crests of the beaches. Only thus
might they hope to uncover a
crannied pasturage and the
patches of soil In which rye. pOta-
toes. cabbage. and willow withes
may grow.
From the rims of the duns, as
also from the sea, the Abrams pre-
sent the pattern of a crazy quilt.
Breast-hlgh walls. mostly a single
Iayer of blocks In thickness, show
no standard of arrangement or di-
rectiOn. The thousands of irregu-
lar Enclosures that come under
glance have neither gates nor
stiles.
The present population of the Ar
rams is less than two thousand.
Losses through emigration to the
United States have been heavy and
are still going on as fast as pas
sage money can be sent from this
side Of the ocean. There are
doubtless many more Of the is
landers in the vicinity of Boston
than remain at home.
Four Main Tribes.
While there are many familiar
names among the people OF the is
lands, the bulk Of the population
appears to be made up of four
tribes-the Mullins, the Gills, the
Flahertys, and the Connollys.