Dungory Castle, (Dunguaire) on the shores of Kinvarra Bay, Co Galway.
(Cashman)
Irish Examiner 16th December, 1937
Month: April 2015
Irish Fairy Tales – 1893
Freemans Journal 1st November, 1893 (abridged)
Photo: BO’D
Mr W. B. Yeats delivered an interesting lecture on “Irish Fairy Tales” at 15 D’Olier Street last evening, under the auspices of the Young Ireland League. Mr Henry Dixon presided.
Mr Yeats, who was received with applause, said that night was sacred to the fairies in general and to the phouca in particular. The phouca sometimes appeared as a horse, sometimes as a donkey, sometimes as an eagle and, indeed, took innumerable four-footed and two footed shapes.
The night of Samhain in old Pagan days was the commencement of winter, over which presided the phouca, whom the people considered the spirit of decay. They believed it was dangerous to go abroad on that night because the fairies might carry them off into their kingdom. That night also the dead were believed to come out of their graves and ride upon the white sea waves, and there were stories of fishermen, who, having escaped the waves and come ashore, found the dead grasping them from behind.
Mr Yeats related a number of interesting fairy tales and said that folklore afforded the most beautiful material for literature and they could not do better than encourage people to use it for such. Every country in the world had these beliefs and universal belief like that meant some universal need for it. If there was not deep down in the human soul some need to think about imaginary beings more beautiful and more powerful than the men and women they met in ordinary life, these things would not have arisen. Forelore gave a beautiful and most ample expression for their vast emotions – emotions which were always struggling to express themselves but were beaten down by the sordid interest of real life. Poets were folklorists who had listened to the voice of the people. They had taken the stories of the old men and women and had made them the delight of the most profound minds of all nations.
Burren – 1847
Nation 27th November, 1847 p.13
Photo: BO’D
Seventy labourers, with their families, employed on works of reclamation by Mr P. Creagh in Burren, County Clare, have employed a clerk or storekeeper to distribute or re-sell provisions to them without any profit, under the surveillance of a committee of management from among themselves, thus making a saving of about 30 per cent.
Resolutions – Galway – 1782
Freemans Journal 20th April, 1782 p3 (abridged)
Blessing of the Colours
John Lavery, 1922.
Wikimedia Commons
At a full meeting of the Grand Jury, Gentlemen, Clergy and Freeholders of the County of Galway assembled pursuant to public notice from the High Sheriff at the County Hall in Galway on the 31st of March, 1782. The following resolutions were unanimously entered into;
Resolved;
That a seat in Parliament was never intended by our constitution as an instrument of emolument to individuals and that the representative who perverts it to such a purpose (particularly at so momentous a period as the present), is guilty of betraying the trust reposed in him by the people for their, not HIS benefit.
Resolved;
That the people who could tamely behold their suffrages made the tool of private avarice or ambition are still more criminal than the venal representative as they become the panders without even the wages of prostitution.
Resolved;
That we do hereby solemnly pledge ourselves to each other and to our country by every tie of honour and religion which can be binding on man, that as our sacred duty which we owe to the community supercedes all ties and obligations to individuals.
It is time for the people to look to themselves and in great national questions to assert their right to control those who owe their political existence to their breath and may be annihilated by their displeasure.
Burren Flowers – 1862
Freeman’s Journal 29th April, 1862 p.3 (abridged)
Photo: BO’Donnell
A general meeting of the Royal Irish Academy was held last evening during which Mr F. J. Foot read a paper on the botanical peculiarities of the Burren district, County Clare, illustrated by a botanical map.
He stated that many rare plants grow in great abundance in localities quite different from those usually known as their habitation. He was much struck by this while engaged in a geographical survey in that part of the country. The abnormal position of these plants was alluded to in a very able paper read by Rev. Mr O’Mahony before the meeting of the British Association in Dublin.
Although the barony of Burren was composed chiefly of carboniferous limestone, which sometimes rose in hills 1,000 feet above the level of the sea, the soil nourished plants of a rare and beautiful character. Mr Foot alluded to the peculiarities of the plants, some of which were remarkable for a fresh and beautiful foliage. Handsome drawings of them were exhibited.
A Member inquired whether these plants were scattered over Ireland at large, or whether they were peculiar to the west? There were many such plants as those alluded to by Mr Foot found in Portugal.
The Irish Empire – 1926
Strabane Chronicle 6th March, 1926 p.4
Wikimedia Commons
Evidence that an early Irish Empire flourished in the fifth, sixth and seventh centuries, with teachers and missionaries spreading its learning and culture into Germany, France and Switzerland, has been given in a series of lectures delivered at the School of Irish Studies, 6 West 12th Street, New York City by Mr Benedict Fitzpatrick.
Further details In the News at theburrenandbeyond.com
Temperance Day – 1907
Freeman’s Journal September 9th 1907 p.12 (abridged)
Photo: Lamiot
Wikimedia Commons
The splendid demonstration yesterday in Dublin, in the streets and on the platform was conclusive proof of the steady and swift advance of Temperance. As the Chairman Father Aloysius, said in his opening statement, from every part of Ireland, north, south, east, west, contingents representing the various Temperance Societies in the country took part in the procession and the great public meeting which followed.
Such demonstrations are eminently serviceable to the cause. Success is the best reward of honest labour, and the indefatigable workers in the cause of Temperance found their wages and encouragement in such conclusive proofs of its progress.
Temperance Day may now be regarded as an annual festival. Last year it was held in October, and was a very considerable success. But owing to the lateness of the seasons and the inclemency of the weather it was impossible to expect any large country contingent. For this reason an earlier date has been selected and the overwhelming success of yesterday’s celebration most amply justifies the change.
The Banshee – 1888
Irish Examiner 15th December, 1888 p5
Photo: EO’D
(abridged)
Once I saw a banshee. It was many years ago. During the summer months the twilight is very long and late one afternoon, when the sun had gone down, I happened to walk over to the farm of M.B. Well, as we stood and talked, my friend suddenly said;
“Mike, do you want to see a banshee?”
Of course I did and looked where he pointed. Sure enough, there in the lane, creeping along near the hedge, was a wee bit of a thing, no more than three feet high. It looked like a young girl, only its hair, which was long and yellow, fell down its back clear to the ground, and as it crept along it whimpered and moaned just like a child in pain. My friend looked very grave, saying;
“That’s a family banshee, and I’m afraid some of my relations are going to be sick.”
Pretty soon after a neighbour came riding up and told my friend to make haste as his mother had been taken very ill.
The next day I learned that the poor woman had died before her son reached her.
The banshees are queer things, and they never let anyone come near them. Another man I knew came across one sitting in a corn field, near the fence. When he suddenly appeared it ran out of sight among the corn, but it dropped its comb from its yellow hair and the man picked it up and put it in his pocket. That night the banshee came near the house and whined so piteously that the man dropped the comb out of the window. The banshee then left, and when a search was made the next morning it was found that the comb had disappeared too.
The Burren and Beyond 