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S68
THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL
I met with a friend.* So in I wtntagin, an* faix one nag- I
jjin brought on another till the night lihropt down on us;
an* up we got to start for home. I thought myself dead
sober nil I walked awhile, and then faix I found I was
dead dhruuk ; but we sthruggled on tili we keni to the
ouM castle of Carrigapouka, and there, faix, the dhrop
overk^m me I believe 'twas the fairies did it on purpose.*
" The fairies. Morinrty, jewel !* interrupted the hitherto
silent NeOy, " why, then, you did nt see the fairies sure V*
** The Lord betune us and harm, its myself that did
then,* rejoined M'Carthy, " an* its 1 that had the mi&for-
thin, and the sorrow, for they robbed me of my good nine
guineas, the thieves."
" Bedh a hutth a vourneen* you don't know who's less-
nin 1 to you— but tell me the whole histhery of your ad-
venthers."
" Well, then, Nelly, as we kern along the road over the
river, I thought the Boreheen wa« twisnn' an* tumin* every
Bide ov me like an eel on a reapin -hook ; an* then the
roar of the wathers btlow, an' the silence above, and the
ould castle I thought walkin* about to see what was the
matther with it; an' the narrow path I was valkin' on,
and the ugly black, wet, dhrippin rocks hangin' over the
white foamin' wather, fairly bothered me out and out-, an'
I was hardly past the castle when I missed Bryan, that was
at my elbow before. ' It's no harm/ sez I to myself,' sure I
have not far to go, an' I know the road, at any rate, for its
many's the day and night I thravelled it.' So on I went,
think in' on nothin* .n the wide world but yourself, an' the
childher, till I heard a rale hurroo all at wanst,inthe Heidi
to my right, an 1 sure enough when I tftrned about there
was a parcel of boys kickin' football like mad; an'
havin the sup in my head, out I leapt acrass the ditch to
have a rise at the ball as well as another ; but, faix, I was
hardly on the sod, an 1 only got one kick at it, when a
little weeny chap, that I could put in my pocket, gives me
a hoise an" thrip that shook the heart 'ithin me; an' I
was hardiy on my limbs when another little chap gives me
another souse, an as soon as I was np again, I got ano-
ther. ' Och, boys, sez I, * fair play for a on naught man.'
' Hurroo,' sez another little codger, * fair play for a Con-
.naughtiuan, Moriarty M'Carthy ; an then all took up the
word, an' * fair play for a Connaughtman,' was passed
from one to another, an every one of them in their turn
took a rise out ov myself, till I thought they'd kill me ;
at last, * begorra,' sez I, * iv 1 don't stand up yez can t
knock me down,' an' I lay quiet an* easy on the grass. —
4 Get up, Moriarty M Carthy,* sez one, * get up, Moriarty
M'* arihy,' sez another, * och,' sez 1 again, * fair play for
a Comirtughtman. hoys jewel — honor bright iv I was the
ruck itself:' with that one chap that seemed to be very
decent, comes up, * clear the way. boy>,' sez he, ' Moriarty
M'L'anhy i> ri^ht ; fair play for a Connaughtman ; hono
bright ; let s carry the poor fellow home, sez he, * an give
him somethin' to eat,' an they all agieed. * Bar play,'sez 1
agin to my own self, in a pig's whisper, 'yez *ill wait
awhile, gintlemen, before I taste bit or sup w ith yez. You
may bring a horse to the wathf-r, but, faix, yez can't make
him dhrink * Then they took me up an* carried me to
the ould castle of Carriynpouka an' brought me into
the grandest place in the world; where there was nothin'
but ladies an' gintlemen, an' they all welcomed myself,
an' wanted me to eat the finest things ever you saw. —
* Yez must excuse me,* sez I, quite polite, * for I darent
touch the victuals good or bad.' ' Well,' says one grand
looking fellow, « you can't refuse to dhrink my health,
anyhow. Here's to yourself an' the chifder, not forgettin'
the honest w oman at home, Moriarty / an he tossed off
the glass as well as ever Locky Macnamara the piper did,
an* then he rilled one for myself. * Come, dhrink to us
like a gay fellow as you are, Moriarty M'Carthy/ sez he;
an* mysi If was goin to toss the glass, when a chap passin'
behind me. who, I'd swear this minit, was no other than
Father O'Leary, that we thought was dead these ten
years, whispers to me, • don't touch the licker for your
life, sez he; an' I was so frickened, that the glass dhropt
down on the flure, an' was smashed to pieces. ' Good
gracious purtect me 1* sez I, * an' I beg ten thousand par
• Bedh a husih avoumem-m Hold your tongue nay darlings
dons ;• but, that I may never touch the stirabout, but that
minit I got a douce on the lug that knocked me sense leu;
an when I kern to myself I found I was lyin' at the foot or
the big rock, a little this side of Carrigapouka."
Nelly's wonder was surpassing, and her joy at the es-
cape of Moriarty from the good people surpassed her
wonder, but her surprise and astonishment were at their
height when in walked Bryan Barry. The usual greeting
passed, when Bryan explained the whole affair. With dif-
ficulty he had contrived to bring Moriarty beyond the dan-
gerous part of the road at the ' ould castle,' and he being
in such a state of intoxication, as to be unable to proceed,
and Bryan not being able to cany him, he was obliged to
leave him at the foot of the rock in the shelter, and pro-
ceed home : " but here/' added Bryan, " is your money,
safe and sound, that I took out of your pocket for fear
somebody else, that would nt have the honesty to return
it, might do it for me,"
" An 1 was it all a dhrame, then ?" asked Moriarty, gat-
ing alternately on Nelly and Bryan in astonishment.
J. L. L.
RUIN OF ST. CRONAN'S ABBEY.
ROSGREA.
On my way from Birr I arrived at the summit of a hill,
between Drumakeenan and Roscrea, which overlooks the
latter place. The view from thence struck me with awful
recollections of by-gone times. The aged round tower and
saxon gable end of St. Cronan's abbey on the left, and the
venerable steeple of the Franciscan monastery on the
right, presented on both extremities of the view object
claiming the attention of the antiquary and traveller
while the middle space was diversified by the ruins of m
round castle of King John's time, and those of a less an
cient one of the days of Henry the Eighth. In the dis-
tance, reviving the long dormant spirit of Irish chivalry,
appeared Carrickhill, anglice, the Hill of the Rock, from
which is taken the title of the Earl of Carrick. The mo-
dern church and steeple, and Roman Catholic chapel
exhibited a neat but bumble contrast to — as they were
placed by the sides of — their respective veneraole neigh-
bours, the ecclesiastical ruins first mentioned.
Descending from the eminence which afforded me the
view just described, I own I was both disappointed and dis-
gusted on entering the town through a long and dirty
lane, skirted on both sides with wretched and unseemly
cabins, and having on the left hand a deep fosse well cal-
culated to overturn the hapless traveller that might enter
the town by night. From this lane I proceeded through
a wide street leading towards the market-house. The
appearance of this street convinced me that individual
industry and uncombined exertion, without the aid of
general design, or the fosteriner hand of a landlord had pro-
duced what I beheld. Although many of the houses were
food* there was neither regularity dot order. Some of
THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL
the edifices were high, and well built — others tow and
homely* Here was a paved footway — there a rugged de-
clivity ready to snatch the feet from the unwary. On this
•ide lay rubbish and heaps of manure, and on that drays
and logs of timber ; while the highway in the centre was
scarcely passable for innumerable large stones, ruts, and
pigs. On enquiry I found that the town had the misfor- |
tune to belong to absentee landlords. I was told that it
had been the property of the late Lady Caroline Damer,
who devised it and her other county Tipperary estates,
to a nobleman residing abroad, who in a short time sold
or mortgaged the whole to either London Jews or bank-
ers, for a sum of £400,000. Several of the houses in the
town being out of lease, the mortgagees cannot gWe en-
couragement forimprovement, and the presentground land-
lord, If he had the mind, has not himself the power to do
so. At present Roscrea is inhabited by a most deserving
and industrious race of people, worthy a benign and
encouraging landlord.
The gloom the foregoing relation is calculated to tast
upon the sensitive reader, cannot, however, overshadow
the bright hours that have gone by ; for former benefactori,
unlike the heartless proprietors of modern times, have lef
works behind them serving as sad memorials of the con»
trast.
ROSCREA CASTLE.
Roscrea is situate in a vale in the barony of Ikerrin,
and county of Tipperary, distant sixty-nine miles from
Dublin. The old name of this place was Roskree as it
is written in the patent granting it to the Ormond family,
and dated the 29th year of King Henry the Eighth, that is
from riasc, a marsh, and ere, the creed. In the life of St.
Cronan it is called Stagnum Cre, which means the same
thing-- Usher (Primord, 1065) calls \t Insula Ro scree,
and Burke (Offices) designates it Fluminus Insulam Ros-
cre nsem. Roscrea formerly gave title to a bishoprick,
but was united to that of Killaloe about the end of the
twelfth century. It seems, likewise, to have been one of
he few manors in Ireland ; for Matthew Mac Cragh,
Bishop of Killaloe, in the year 1318, surrendered it to the
rrown as such, receiving other possessions in lieu. The
'ecord of this surrender is extant in the Rolls Office, Dub-
in, on the 6th membrane of the Patent Roll of the 11th
rear of Edward the Second. It is there spelled Roskre.
The engraving as given above represents a large
square castle, built here by the Ormond family in the
reign of King Henry the Eighth. It now serves as a
itore-housefor the military, who are lodged in the barrack
at its rere. Adjoining the barrack, formerly the residence
of Damer, ancestor to the late Earl of Dorchester, and on
th« street Jeariiug- along the river, is likewise another cas-
ttt eC * tticulai form! built in 12 U £King John'i reignj a»
a barrier against the natives by the English, who afteT some
contests with Murtogh, King of North Munster, possessed
themselves of this place. This remnant of antiquity hai
been recently repaired and roofed.
St. Cronan founded an abbey here for regulaT canont,
around which the town sprung up, or at least, encreased
rapidly. He was a native of Ely O' Carroll, being son of
Odran, of that territory, by Coemri, a woman from Cor-
cabasckin, in the now county of Clare. This abbey must
have been founded subsequent to the year 600, and prior
to 626, for the saint is said to have died the 23th of April,
in the reign of King Fingen.
The modern church stands near the site of the ancient
abbey, of which the only remains are a curious gable-em^
now converted into an entrance way to the church-yard.
This gable displays several arched niches ornamented with
chevrons, and of the Saxon style, and presents over the
doorway a full length figure of the patron saint The en*
graving at the head of this article is a representation of lU
Heretofore a grave-stone used to be pointed out in the
churchyard as the tomb of St. Cronan. However, when
I saw it it was broken, and there did not appear anything
to identi y it as such, and I was also shewn another monu-
mental stone at the neighbouring monastery of Moanain*
cha, as commemorative of the same person but when I
came? to examine it, the inscription in the Iriih langvaft
270
THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL.
and character was to the following effect — "pray for black
Bran.*' The latter, therefore, is certainly not the tomb of
St. Cronan, but that of Bran M'Colman, who was abbot
of Roscrea, and died in 926. In the church-yard of Roscrea
there still remains a stone cross, which, with another stone
now forming' part of the church-yard wall, the inhabitants
call the shrine of St. Cronan. The following- is a represen-
tation of this cross.
ST. CKONANS CROSS.
On the opposite side of the road to the church, stands
on the brink of a mill-pond formed by the river, one of
tnose ancient round towers so common in Ireland, and
which afford an inexhaustible subject for antiquarian dis-
cussion. It is said to be eighty feet high, and is capped
with a wooden umbrella-like roof.
Towards the Limerick end of the town is the venerable
steeple of a monastery, founded in 1490 by Bibiana,
daughter of O'Dempsy, and "widow of Mulroony O' Car-
roll, nicknamed, nafeasoge, or with the beard. This stee-
ple serves at present for a belfry to the Roman Catholic
chapel, to which it forms the entrance from the street.
The fairs held at Roscrea are very ancient. It is a well
authenticated fact, that the Irish assembled at one of these
fairs, on the festival of Saints Peter and Paul, in the year
942, beat" the Danes, who had concentrated their forces
from Limerick and Gal way with intent to surprise and
plunder the natives.* On that occasion the people who
resorted to the fair, although congregated from different
parts of the country, and of course strangers to each other,
did not wait to Jbe attacked in the town, but sallied out,
and after a sanguinary conflict which took place near
* The line by which the Danish plunderers retreated may
be easily traced from the skeletons at the present day. They
fled towards Moneygall, on the road to Limerick, and most of
the townlands in the line of their flight appear to derive their
names from the transaction. Thus numbers of human bones
have been found in pits between Clonegana and the high road,
and more of them in the bog between Monygall and Cullen-
wain. It is curious that the bones found have been princi-
pally wherever there was either a dry sandy soil or bog. The
absorbing nature of the sand preserves them in the one case,
and the antisceptic quality of the bog in the other ; but
wherever the bodies Jwere interred in rich earth they were
sooner decomposed. The route they followed was by the
stream called Owris, as if from the Irish Oiris, a stop, delay,
or hindrance, because it interrupted the Danish flight, thence
by Cloneganna, from Cluan y a retired place, and geanam, a
iword, or geangad, a mauling or beating, by Clashagad, from
gks, a field, and giodad, a wounding, by Finglas, Jion, troops,
and glas, a green, and by Laughawn, (Zocc, a pool, and Un
evil) to Moneygall, where the battle is said to have ended
Moneygall seems to be derived from Moin, a bog, and Gall a
foreigner or stranger, Several human bones fcaye been found
io a moor near it.
Carrickhill, defeated the invaders, killing Olfm, the Danish
chieftain, and four thousand of his men. It is from this
circumstance that the hill of Carrick became so remarka-
ble as to be selected to give a title to the noble house of
Butler.
Roscrea was famed in former times not only for the
magnificence of its buildings and valour of its inhabitants,
but as a seat of practical religion also. Accordingly we
rind that^ St. Canice, who was born in 516 and died in
599, wrote a copy of the four gospels here. It was called
Glass KenniCy or chain of Canice, and Archbishop
Usher tells us that it was preserved in this town until
his time. There was also a copy of the gospels written by
Dimma, a scribe, the son of Engus, son of Carthin, which
possibly is the MS. in the possession of Sir William
Bethatn, which latter certainly was preserved at Roscrea
in a most curiously wrought and ornamented box. The
reader may consult a paper by Henry Joseph M. Mason,
Esq., published in the transactions of the Royal Irish Aca»
demy, and in the Irish Antiquarian researches, by Sir Wil-
liam Betham, and a letter from Mr. Cooke to that author,
published in the Dublin Philosophical Journal, for
much information relative to Roscrea, as well as on the
subject of the copy of the gospels just mentioned, which
found its way to Sir William Betham in the following
manner.
The late Rev. Philip Meagher, formerly parish priest of
Birr, found it amongst the books of an uncle who had
been a clergyman in Roscrea, and handed it to a Dr. Har-
rison of Nenagh, (since dead) who sold it to Mr. Mason,
librarian to the King's Inns' Society, and he parted with
it to Sir William Betham. Such being the history of the
MS., it is strange how Sir William could have supposed
this relic to have been found by boys seeking birds' nests
in the Devil's Bit mountain, as he asserts it was, in the Irish
Antiquarian Researches.
The ground about Roscrea is exceedingly fertile, and
the town is still the grand emporium of trade to all the
surrounding towns and districts. B.
\V>e had, on reading the above, an idea that our respected
Correspondent had quoted Sir W. Betham erroneously ; and
on reference to the Antiquarian Researches, find, that so far
from Sir William asserting the box was found " by boys
seeking birds' nests in the Devil's Bit Mountain" his words are,
" I conclude he (Mr. Mason) must have been imposed upon
in the story of the box and MS. being found in the cave of a
mountain ; where, it is obvious the latter could not have remained
a month without decomposition." We are sure our Correspon-
dent did not intend to misrepresent, but'we must not be ac-
cessary to so serious a charge as that made against Sir W.
Betham, which we find to be altogether unfounded.— En.
ADVENTURE IN THE WOODS OF NORTH
AMERICA.
The settlers in North America frequently make shoot-
ing excursions into the woods, for the double purposes of
pleasure and for procuring game. Being once on one of
these shooting parties, during the American war, we met
with an adventure which was very near being fatal to our
party. Having set out somewhat before day-light, duly
accoutred and furnished with provision, we struck into the
woods in hopes of meeting deer, great numbers of which
live in the forests ; but to our great mortification not one
was to be seen in any direction. We had an Indian with
us as a guide, as being better acquainted with the haunts
of the game than a European. Having advanced a consi-
derable way into the woods without meeting any game ex-
cept a few red deer, one of these at length came within
range of our rifles. The instant it was struck it reeled,
fell, and with another shot we dispatched it. Having
skinned the animal, and kindled a fire, we were preparing
to cook it, when a cry so shrill met our ears, that we were
for a moment paralysed. The Indian guide whom we had
along with us instantly recognised the terrific war-whoop
of a tribe of the Cherokee Indians, then at war with the
English. What was to be done ? We were only six in
number, and by the yells of the savages we concluded that
there were a little army of them collected together. To
endeavour to run away would be useless, as there would be
, ' AG cbance pf escaping our pumuerff, We weft each wjbcJ
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